Date: Monday, March 19, 2012
Category: Conference News

ARLINGTON, VA – RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America, announced today that eligibility requirements for the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) exam certification have been enhanced to better recognize candidates with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in special education.  In addition, work experience has been modified to focus on actual hours worked, and professional training requirements are now included for certain degrees. The enhanced  requirements go into effect April 1, 2012.  Current candidates who have already been deemed eligible to take the exam are not affected, and there are no changes for those currently holding ATP certification.  

The Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) Certification is offered only by RESNA, and over 7,000 assistive technology professionals have taken the exam. ATP certification is a clear way to identify professionals who have expertise in helping people with disabilities identify the proper assistive technology to meet their needs. ATP certification recognizes professionals who have reached an internationally accepted standard of knowledge in assistive technology, and promote RESNA’s code of ethics and highest ethical standards.   

“RESNA’s Professional Standards Board, which is charged with oversight of the certification program, continuously evaluates the program to keep pace with changes in assistive technology, work practice, and the industry, “ explained Carmen DiGiovine, Ph D, ATP, RET and board chair.  “Pre-service AT training is now included in Master’s level degrees within the rehabilitation sciences, and so we adjusted the work experience requirements to better reflect that.”

As a result, less work experience is now required for those with  Master’s level degrees in rehabilitation science, essentially one year of work experience at 0.5 FTE, rather than 2 years at 0.5 FTE. In addition, work experience is now expressed as hours worked rather than the number of years at full or part-time. “We now focus on work experience as hours dedicated to the provision of assistive technology service delivery, as we felt that was more reflective of the knowledge and skills required in AT,” said DiGiovine.

“These changes also recognize educators with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in special education, because they help children with their assistive technology needs in the school setting,” confirmed Professional Standards Board member Dan Cochrane, ATP and an Assistive Technology Specialist/Coordinator for an Illinois school district.

The ATP eligibility requirements as of April 1, 2012 are:

Previous eligibility requirements:

• Did not distinguish master’s or bachelor’s degrees in special education as a different category from rehabilitation science degrees, making it unclear whether a person with a special education degree was eligible. Those with special education degrees have always been eligible.
• Required those with a high school diploma or GED to have training experience. The Professional Standards Board has now added education/training experience for individuals with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in non-rehab science.
• Calculated work experience based on full-time, part-time, or quarter-time employment (1.0 FTE, 0.5 FTE, 0.25 FTE) as part of a job description, which did not apply to candidates who work an academic year.  
• Required those with high school diplomas or GEDs to work 40 hours a week for 2 full years to meet the eligibility requirement. Now the requirement has been raised to 6,000 hours, but it may be completed within 10 years to accommodate those who are not working full-time providing AT services and those who work in a school setting.

“The goal of the ATP certification program is to raise the professional level of all who work in assistive technology,” said DiGiovine.  “These enhanced requirements will allow more pathways for individuals to gain work-related experience, and recognizes those candidates who work in school settings.”

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About RESNA

RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency.  Find out more at www.resna.org.

Click here to learn more about ATP certification.