Developing an Assistive Technology competency framework

Description

In 2024 the DfE (Department for Education) commissioned research to develop an Assistive Technology Competency Framework. This framework would identify the skills needed by staff members employed in special schools and specialist colleges to implement an AT pathway of assessment, provisioning, ongoing support and review.

Provision of AT in specialist education contexts is often dependent on localised expertise, or on individuals with an interest and enthusiasm for the topic. To date, no formal training pathways exist for the majority of learner-facing staff who support AT, and no agreed framework of skills and competencies informs the training that does exist.

This presentation focusses on the findings and areas of future development from the research which was undertaken by the University of Dundee and their partners at The Ace Centre, Natspec TechAbility and the Karten Network. Rohan will highlight relevant aspects, noting that the literature review findings and elements of qualitative work were shared in a workshop format at TechAbility24.

The main output of the project is to propose an Assistive Technology Competency Framework for staff members employed in various pupil or student facing roles. This work builds on previous DfE funded research by Edyburn (2020) and considers how we can address future AT training and support delivery.

Period	19 Nov 2025
Event title	TechAbility Conference 2025
Event type	Conference
Location	Nottingham, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National