Scholarships / Funding

Excuse #4: We Do Not Have The Money To Pay For Computers

Response: There are a number of 'truisms' relating to educational expenses for children with disabilities. One is that the IDEA applies equally to every school district in each state. Its requirements are the same for big city school districts, wealthy suburban districts, and small, poor, rural school districts.

Another is that the IDEA does not provide much federal financial assistance to any state or school district: the costs of meeting the IDEA's mandates for special education and related services remain largely a state and local responsibility. A third truism is that the cost of providing an appropriate education to a child with disabilities cannot be a consideration in determining whether the programs and services are to be provided.

These truisms will have unequal application because some districts are more wealthy, and "able" to provide the variety of services children with disabilities may need. Yet a district's "ability/willingness" is not lawfully a factor in determining its duty to provide an appropriate education. No child, anywhere in any state need accept anything less than what the IDEA mandates: i.e., an appropriate education, including, where necessary, the provision of computer technology.

Schools cannot escape consideration of computer aided instruction for children because of cost. Schools cannot escape providing devices and services related to these needs because of cost.

The only opportunity available to schools to consider cost is in regard to choosing between two equally appropriate alternative courses -- the schools are then free to choose the one that is least expensive. But that option will have limited, if any opportunity for application in regard to computer aided instruction. For a child who is an appropriate candidate for computer based instruction, there really will be no alternative service that will provide equal benefits. For example:

• a child with a cognitive impairment will be able to have far more individualized instruction, practice, and feedback through an appropriate software program than s/he will from a teacher or aide who is responsible for a class as a whole. The benefit of the individualized instruction should be greater learning. The child may be able to have more ambitious annual goals written on his/her IEP, and s/he will extract more learning and skills from the school experience.


• a child with a learning disability may be able to produce meaningful written work with minimal services, changing the entire focus of the child's program in relation to written expression from one of tedious services related to overcoming his/her impairment, to developing his/her skills utilizing a word processor and related software. Similarly, a child who is non-speaking can obtain a voice through an augmentative communication device. Here too, a fundamental component of learning: expressive communication, that previously was beyond the reach of this child, can now be a part of his/her program.


• a child with sensory or severe physical limitations will be able to participate far more fully in the educational process, also expanding his/her learning potential, expanding goals, and increasing total benefit.


• children with either cognitive, sensory or severe physical limitations may be able to be integrated into a regular classroom through the use of computer aided instruction. Even if no individualized goals are changed, the computer will offer these children a less restrictive placement, which justifies its provision.

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of the opinions expressed herein should be inferred.