The SETT Model

The SETT (Sudents, Environments, Tasks, and Tools) Model was created by Joy Zabala, an AT specialist at the University of Kentucky. It is a framework that provides a structure for groups, such as an IEP or AT assessment team, to work together to consider all of the necessary factors to provide a student with a disability the AT needed to succeed in an educational setting. This model is used to facilitate a multidisciplinary approach to AT assessments consisting of  a team of different professionals such as rehabilitation and school counselors, typical and special education teachers, school administrators, social workers, occupational and physical therapists, the parents of the student, and most importantly, the student. The team uses the SETT model to consider the student, the environment the student will be participating in, the tasks the student will be performing in the environment, and the tools needed for the student to address required tasks.

In the SETT Model, the student is considered first and everything else builds on the student's characteristics. This differs from the Adaptations Framework which initially focuses on specific tasks. The SETT Model focuses on the student first because the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates that the student is the center of the special education process. For an AT intervention to be successful, it must be included in the special education process. Although the initial question of this model: "What does the student need to do that may currently be difficult or impossible?" looks like a task-focused question, it is really more general and allows one to consider the strengths and challenges facing the student. Another difference between these models is that the SETT Model is not as structured as the Adaptations Framework in that it does not ask as specific questions within each category. The SETT Model is laid out as more of a brainstorming guide that requires input from people of various disciplines. This information is then combined to determine effective AT solutions. The following interactive chart explains each step of the SETT Model in more detail.

Click on sections of the SETT Model for descriptions

Using the SETT Model appropriately requires a multidisciplinary collaboration that promotes team-building by using clearly understood language and valuing input from all perspectives. As data is organized and prioritized within the SETT Framework, it promotes logical thinking by all team members and can be an effective consensus-building tool. As environments and tasks are explored, the links between assessment and intervention become strong and clear, as does the need to develop a system of tools that will enhance the student's abilities to address the tasks in which he/she is expected to build competency. In addition to developing a system of tools valuable to the student, participation in developing SETT data increases the likelihood that the people supporting the student will see the relevancy of the technology and will be more active and persistent in encouraging and supporting the student's achievement through its use (National Center to Improve Practice, 1998; Zabala, 1998).

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