The Cognitively Demanding Task Matrix

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Written By Janice Reese


From the Carter School in Boston, Massachusetts:

“Building off of our school’s instructional focus, our teachers, led by principal, Mark O’Connor, behavioral consultant, Debra McManus, and Lead Teacher Kim Kulasekaran, developed the Cognitively Demanding Task Matrix (CDTM). Using this CDTM in every classroom, we aim to raise the level of cognitive demand for our students’ various learning programs. In relation to our whole school instructional focus, COMMUNICATION, the CDTM challenges the staff at the Carter School and its very lucky speech language pathologist, to raise the level of cognitive demand of our students’ communication learning programs.”

Visit the Carter School website for more information and to download the Cognitively Demanding Task Matrix.

COGNITIVELY DEMANDING TASK MATRIX

Janice Reese

My name is Janice Reese and I LOVE assistive technology! I worked as an Occupational Therapist for more than 15 years, earned a Master’s degree in Education Technology, and I’m RESNA certified as an Assistive Technology Profession (ATP). I have worked in the school system for many years now and I love using technology to enhance the lives of children with disabilities. Since my first love is teaching, I’ve spent just as much time training wonderful teachers everywhere to use these tools in their classrooms. AT4Kids, llc was founded in 2008 in an effort to provide quality instruction and resources for teachers, therapists, student users and parents who wanted to know more about using AT.

I currently serve as Director of the Center for Assistive Technology, a state-supported program of the Little TN Valley Educational Cooperative. LTVEC is a non-profit agency whose goal is to provide rehabilitation services and accessibility supports for students with special needs in east Tennessee. My AT4Kids blog is designed to be as a one-stop resource for ideas and information for those wanting to learn more about the use of AT with children in the special education setting.

I hope to offer helpful hints, program and product reviews, AT recommendations, links to great new finds on the web, and lists of resources for “all things AT”.

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