This executive summary of a research synthesis of information about assistive technology (AT) for school children with disabilities focuses on device characteristics as quality indicators of AT for manufacturers, clinicians, and consumers. It also provides an overview of AT use in the schools and how this use is determined or affected by the availability of funding and devices, the assessment process, and the need for and training about AT. Brief sections summarize the larger report's sections on: the educational uses of AT, popular AT devices, assessing the need for AT devices, training to use AT devices, and AT device characteristics and quality. A table summarizes the device characteristics rated as important such as effectiveness, affordability, operability, dependability, portability, durability, compatibility, flexibility, and ease of maintenance. In addition, a recommendation is made for greater application of principles of universal design, which involves the design of consumer products so that they can be used by a wide range of consumers. An appendix provides definitions for the identified design characteristics. (Contains 29 references.) (DB)