Frequently Asked Questions - Equipment Checkout

What type of equipment loans are available?

There are two types of equipment loan; (1) annual and (2) trial. Annual loans are most common, allowing for an item to be checked out for up to one full school year after which it must either be returned or renewed via online inventory (note: all AT and AAC items must be returned in June - we can hold them for re-check out in the fall). Trials are available for certain high cost AAC devices and items being test piloted or on loan from a vendor. 

Which items must be returned at the end of the school year, and which items can we hold on to?

All Assistive Technology items (switches, toys, mounts, etc.) and Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) devices must be returned at the end of the school year. Upon request, we will hold items at CRP to be checked out for the same student again in the fall.

Motor items such as gait trainers, standers, and chairs are bulky, costly to move, and easily damaged in transit. For these reasons, motor items may remain on site as long as the student continues to need the item. However, the person who checked the motor items out must inventory them during our annual equipment inventory process. In other words, if you are going to hold onto equipment for multiple years then you must account for the item at least once a year during inventory. Please note that motor items must be returned if the student leaves the district, ages out of services, transitions to kindergarten, etc.

Can we hold onto items over the summer for ESY?

There is an online form linked on the CRP website for requesting summer use of equipment for ESY and other legitimate educational activities.

Why do I have to return equipment when my students will continue to need the items in the following year?

Remember that motor items can stay in place as long as the student still needs the items and you inventory them annually. We ask for all AT and AAC items come back at the end of the school year because we need to check the items for safety and complete maintenance. In addition, we find that lots of equipment is being held onto even though the items are no longer in use. End of year returns allow us to recover those unused or damaged items and make them available for other children who need them. And remember, upon your request we will set aside returned equipment so that you can pick it back up in the fall

I checked out equipment for a student I no longer serve. Why are the items still on my list? Am I responsible for them?

Yes, you are responsible for either (a) returning the items or (b) finding out who will be taking over the student and working with that person and CRP to get the items transferred of your list to the new provider’s.

This is a common area of misunderstanding. People think when they no longer serve a student that they are no longer responsible for the items that they checked out for that student. But this is not correct. The challenge we face is that there is no automatic process in place to transfer responsibility of those items to the new provider.  We are reliant upon those who checkout equipment to communicate and work with us to get items returned or transferred when they find out that they will no longer be serving a student.

Can CRP equipment be sent home with the student?

Generally, no - our motor, AT, and AAC equipment is provided for educational access purposes within the context of school and school-based services. However there are limited circumstances in which CRP equipment may be used in the home. Examples include (but are not limited to) EI/ECSE children receiving IFSP services in the home, children who are medically fragile and receive services from school-based professionals in the home. Each circumstance is unique, so if you have questions please contact an OI/AT consultant.

When equipment does go home, it is very important to remind parents and caregivers that the items are on loan from CRP and do constitute a gift or grant - the responsible party remains responsible for the condition and return of all items placed in the home (equipment cannot be checked out directly to parents).

For more details, please review our Student Equipment Training Module.

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