TATN - Texas Assistive Technology Network

2011 Assistive Technology CONFERENCE IN HOUSTON!

Statewide Texas Assistive Technology Network Conference

June 16 - 18, 2011
Region 4 ESC
Houston, TX

Come to Houston to experience what assistive technology can offer you, your staff and district regarding accommodations,provision of accessible instructional materials, Universal Design for Learning and more!!

Click here for the 2010 conference website

contact: Kirk Behnke
(713) 744-6559
kbehnke@esc4.net

Welcome to TATN

Assistive technology enables students with disabilities to access the curriculum, increase independence and participate actively in education and life activities.

What's new?

Assistive Technology Statewide Conference 2010!

The first statewide assistive technology conference was a huge success!! With over 670 participants, 80 sessions, and 49 exhibitors.
Thanks to each and everyone who came and enjoyed the conference. Remember to fill out and look at your action plan items before school starts in September!

Check out the podcast blog! Go to tatn2010.wordpress.com/ to review some of the national speakers who spoke on Thursday. This is a great way to listen to ALL the great speakers and gain information from them.

Click here for the podcast page

Registration for the 2011 conference will be available starting in January 2011

Please note that we were at full capacity for this past year's conference.
SAVE the DATE for next year in Houston, TX Region 4 ESC, June 16 - 18, 2011.

Registration will be made available soon

Call for Presenters will be available in October

If you would like to submit a paper/proposal, please know we will announce the call for papers in October. If your presentation(s) is(are) accepted, we will waive your registration fee for you and your presentation partner.

Call for Exhibitors will be open on October 1

Call for Exhbitors/Vendors will be open on October 1, 2010. Due to our limited number of spaces and last year's positive response, please plan on submitting your Call for Exhibiting and your presentation as early as possible. Exhibitors will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

For further information:
Kirk Behnke - kbehnke@esc4.net or
Cecilia Robinson - crobinson@esc4.net

QIAT Survey

The 2008/2009 QIAT Survey results are now posted.

Click here to review the results

The 2009/2010 QIAT Survey

Click here to take the survey

Teaching Literacy to Students with Significant Disabilities

Ten Training Modules created for the Three Low Incidence Disabilities Statewide Leadership Function are now available. Training materials were developed by the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hil in collaboration with Region 3.

Click here to go to the Literacy modules

The TATN website is Speech Enabled!

All TATN webpages can now be read to you. Click on the headline above to find out how to access this feature!

Mission

Texas Assistive Technology Network (TATN) is working to ensure that students with disabilities receive assistive technology devices and services when needed to benefit from a free, appropriate public education. The TATN consists of representatives from each of the Texas Education Services Centers, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4) in Houston, TX provides statewide leadership for the network.

Through a comprehensive planning process, the TATN has developed a framework for statewide collaboration. Priorities in professional development and technical assistance focus on providing training, products and services that:
- build district capacity in assistive technology knowledge and skills
- promote strategies for building the literacy skills of all students, and
- are aligned with statewide literacy initiatives.

Texas Education Agency's Leadership Functions

Click above to review all Leadership Functions which TEA supports.
Education service centers (ESCs) provide state leadership for special education related functions. The ESCs listed next to the function are considered the Lead ESC. Each lead ESC is responsible for establishing and coordinating a 20-region network for their function. The purpose of the 20-region network is to ensure ongoing communication between ESCs about state-level needs assessment processes, planning, and implementing and evaluating statewide activities.