Attitudes of Indiana special education teachers towards the use and implementation of assistive technology

This study examines the attitudes of special education towards the use and implementation of Assistive Technology (AT). The study attempts to determine a relationship between the attitudes of teachers and the presence of an Assistive Technology Coordinator/Committee, whether the school is part of the Individualized Classroom Accountability Network (ICAN) project, the type of disability, and grade level of the student. The study was influenced by Everett Rogers's Diffusion of Innovation theory.;The mixed-method research was conducted using special education teachers within the State of Indiana. A sample of 164 special education teachers responded to the quantitative survey. Each subject completed a 28 question survey which was used to determine their attitudes and the presence of elements of the Diffusion Theory. From this sample seven teachers volunteered to participate in a qualitative interview to further expand on the results of the quantitative survey. The surveys were used to expand on the results of the survey and further identify aspects of the Diffusion Theory that were present in each school.;The results of the study showed no significant relationship in the quantitative portion study between the attitudes of the teachers and the independent variables. The presence of an effective Assistive Technology Coordinator/Committee seemed to be the most important factor in determining the successful adoption of AT. The qualitative interviews did show that when all the factors of the Diffusion Theory were present at the school, AT was successfully integrated into the classroom.