I had to figure out how I was using the RAT model in my past career working with children. This model stands for Replacement, Amplification and Transformation. I used to work with special needs children under the age of three years old. My job was to assess the child to see if there were any developmental delays. I evaluated them in 5 domains of development:Gross (large muscles) and fine (small muscles) motor skills. As well as, language, problem-solving and emotional/social skills. After the assessment, I would then write a report showing the results. If the child was delayed in any domains, I would get the required intervention services.
Over the years the assessment process was replaced with new and improved technology that calculated the results from the information I input about the child’s development. This process improved the reliability and clarity of the results. Next, I was able to explained the results in a simplified way to the parents without losing focus of the primary reason for the assessment. The amplified completion of the evaluation assisted with getting the interventions necessary for the family’s needs. Likewise, the results offered computer-generated ideas for the parents regarding the particular interventions for their child’s delays. Lastly, my former co-workers stated that now the assessments are also accepting up-to-date progress on how the interventions are benefitting the child on a monthly basic. This is truly a transformation from what having to record everything intervention and progress by hand into the computer.
Finally, I never really consider how technology operated in the work I did. I always used to fight against new technology and preferred to do the work in the “original” way. Now I am willing to try ways of organizing all my different programs (Web 2.0) in a more efficient system.
