Special Education and Assistive Technology

Cohort based program on Thursdays | 4:30-5:30pm

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Our aim is to support school personnel and IEP teams with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to identify and implement assistive technology to maximize student’s learning opportunities through a collaborative model. This 6-session series will support special educators, AT personnel, and district administrators with special education and assistive technology needs.  This program will foster statewide collaboration amongst colleagues and provide oppurtunity for consultation with an interdisciplinary team of subject matter experts, including speech pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, teacher, and assistive technology specialist.

Series Schedule/Topics:

• Session #1: Orientation & Misconceptions of Assistive Technology 
• Session #2: Categories of Assistive Technology (Low, Medium, High) 
• Session #3: Identifying & Evaluating Student Needs 
• Session #4: Collecting & Utilizing Data for Assistive Technology
• Session #5: Normalizing Assistive Technology & Overcoming Barriers 
• Session #6: Developing Your Team & SETT Framework 

Special Education and Assistive Technology Case Review Form

Our Team

• Kristina Britt, M.S. CCC-SLP. Kristina's passion for supporting students with complex communication needs led her into the world of Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She strongly believes that every student deserves a voice and strives to help bring awareness of AT to those working with our most complex students.
• Adron Burgener, MS, BA, Special Ed. Teacher. Addie (Adron) has been working in some form of teaching since 2010. This includes paraprofessional work, speech pathology Para, preschool lead teacher, substitute teaching, special education, and general education. Early childhood is what brought her into the teaching world and helped keep her driving forward. Addie plans to continue with learning more about literacy and mathematical concepts, especially in regard to its impact on Neurodivergent thinkers. She has plans to potentially follow an administration position in hopes to better the future of all educators and students.
• Katherine Joines, PT, DPT, DHSc. Katherine Joines has practiced the last 24 years as a pediatric physical therapist. She received her MSPT from UNLV and DPT from St Scholastica. She approaches care by empowering families and clients by sharing knowledge and her expertise. She is passionate about her profession and strives to provide services to the under served communities. Not only has she worked in the clinical, home, and school setting, but she has also been very involved with the Nevada State Board of Physical Therapy and is part of the APTA Pediatric DEI Section
• Travis Mills. Travis is a self-advocate with the primary goal of helping individuals with disabilities become more independent and included in their communities. Travis has been a strong advocate for people with disabilities since becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) in 2009. He is a graduate of Nevada Partners in Policymaking, Class in 2010 and has served as Chapter Advisor and Officer for People First of Nevada, Statewide Board and Secretary for the Reno chapter. I teach Partners in Policy Making with Diana Rovetti in 2014 to 2017 in Southern and Northern Nevada. Travis has served on numerous Committees and Boards advocating for people with disabilities. He has testified at the Nevada Legislature, Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) and provided input at many other local and statewide committee meetings. He was recently selected to serve on the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), & Disability Awareness Collation (DAC).
• Nathanael Officer Sr., MA. Nathanael joined the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED) in March 2024 as the Associate Project Coordinator for the Nevada Special Education Technology Assistance Project (NSETAP). He stays engaged in the community and advocacy through his roles in nonprofits such as Nevada Black Deaf Advocates (NVBDA) and Las Vegas Deaf Seniors (LVDS). Nathanael began working in special education in 2005 as a paraprofessional, specializing in applied behavior analysis with 1:1 students and students with Autism. He has worked with tech since the mid-90s and has worked professionally with tech since 2010. Nathanael has been developing his capacity as an advocate since his adolescent years seeking to uplift the perspective of those with lived experience.
• Kristin Robison, MOTR/L. Kristin Robison has been an occupational therapist practicing in Nevada for over two decades. She holds a master's degree in occupational therapy from Midwestern University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Washington. She authored Understanding Your Child's Behavior- A Parent's Guide to Helping a Unique Child Thrive, and Calming Classroom Chaos-An Educator's Guide to Strategies and a Different Perspective on Behavior. She contributed to the textbook Leading Schools with Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD) and currently has a private practice in Carson City.
• Felicia Rutledge, PhD. Before working at UNR, Felicia (she, her, Dr.) was an educator who taught preschool - high school. She has written award-winning grants to support teacher collaboration time, provide scholars withcommunity-based learning, and increase language, literacy, and communication skills. Dr. Rutledge's commitment is to scholarly achievement, supporting families, human talent development, and implementing systems rooted inaccess, equity, and liberation.

Disclosures

CME Evaluation Form

Continuing Medical Education (CME) Accreditation

The State of Nevada Board of Education designates this activity for a maximum of 1.25 credit hours for educators

The Nevada State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners designates this activity for a maximum of 1.25 credit hours for physical therapists

The State of Nevada Speech – Language Pathology, Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensing Board designates this activity for a maximum of 1.25 credit hours for Speech Pathologist, Audiologists, and Hearing Aid Technicians

The Nevada State Board of Occupational Therapy designates this activity for a maximum of 1.25 credit hours for Occupational Therapists