What is Assistive Technology? 
 
Assistive Technology is any technology that helps a person with a disability successfully complete daily activities. It may be as simple as a portable spell checker for a student with a learning disability or as complex as a talking computer for a student who cannot talk. The BVSD Assistive Technology Team is designed to help school teams in providing assistive technology devices and services that increase students’ academic success
 
 
What is the Assistive Technology Team? 
 
State Level – The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) developed State-Wide Assistive, Augmentative, Alternative Communication (SWAAAC) teams. These teams are designed to assist students with disabilities in public schools with academic pursuits. The BVSD Assistive Technology Team is Boulder Valley’s SWAAAC team.

Local Level – The BVSD Assistive Technology Team is comprised of an occupational therapist, a speech/language pathologist, and a special education teacher. The team is available to visit schools to talk with teachers, parents, and therapists about students in special education programs. Team members can suggest solutions, both low and high tech, to help students with the learning process. They can assist with computer and environmental access (switch access), alternative communication, and choosing specialized software. Students may have mild disabilities such as learning disabilities or more significant cognitive or physical disabilities. The BVSD Assistive Technology Team has a lending library of devices and software available for specific students with needs identified by the team. The equipment and software can be used for evaluation, trial, or on longer-term loan.
 
Who is on the Team? 

Jennifer Leonesio MS, OTRL – Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University and she has practiced as an Occupational Therapist in the Boulder Valley School District for seven years.  She is the newest member of the Assistive Technology Team and has a strong interest in the field. 
     Contact at: jennifer.leonesio@bvsd.org or 303-447-5001 ext. 8931

Anja Kintsch - Anja holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University and has been a BVSD teacher since 1992. In addition to working on the Assistive Technology Team, she has worked with the University of Colorado's Computer Science Department and Google developing new technologies and educational strategies for people with disabilities.  She has presented on a wide variety of topics (including AT and literacy) at local, national, and international conferences and is currently developing a specialized AT evaluation for students with writing difficulties.
     Contact at:  anja.kintsch@bvsd.org or  303-447-5001 ext. 8953

Paul Visvader - Paul has been involved in education since 1974 (both teaching and publishing) and has a Masters in Communication Disorders and Speech Science (M.A., 1997), as well as a Masters in Music (M.M., 1991). He has been a speech-language pathologist since 1997 and recently co-authored a book called “"Cognitive and Communicative Assessment and Training Curriculum for Individuals who use Switches.”   Paul is the current AT Team leader.
     Contact at:  paul.visvader@bvsd.org or  303-447-5001 ext. 8889

Nancy Lamb – Nancy has been in the field of education for over 20 years, including six years as an assistive technology specialist for the Anchorage, Alaska school district.  She was the sales consultant and trainer for DynaVox Technologies for Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah for four years before joining BVSD. 
     Contact at: nancy.lamb@bvsd.org 
 
How does one receive our services? 
 
An Assistive Technology Team referral form must first be completed by the student’s school team, signed by parents, and submitted through inter-school mail with a copy of the student’s current IEP. The referral form can be downloaded below. Completed forms can be sent to the team leader at the Ed.Center. After all paperwork is received, the team leader will contact the student’s case manager and schedule an evaluation. An evaluation or consultation should include teachers, parents, and specialists.