K-12 Dive

Amid growing calls to scale back screen time in schools, some organizations and education researchers are urging a more nuanced approach that considers the quality and purpose of technology — particularly for students with disabilities who rely on assistive technology for learning, communication and health reasons. Limiting screen time in schools could hinder access to devices that students with disabilities rely on for individualized services and accommodations, experts say. Denise Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, said her organization continues to hear that students with disabilities have difficulty accessing the assistive technology they need.

“Any blanket policy runs the risk for further exasperating that challenge and could run afoul of” the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Marshall said in an email to K-12 Dive in April. The access barriers to assistive technology have always been there, she said, but they have “gotten slightly worse” since some districts have implemented policies limiting technology use.