Short Term Loan Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is Short Term Loan (STL)?

The PaTTAN Short Term Loan (STL) program is a lending library of assistive technology (AT) kits for assessment available to local educational agencies (LEA) for a trial period of normally six weeks.

Who is eligible to borrow?

Pennsylvania educators employed or contracted by an intermediate unit, school district, charter school, approved private school, or state early intervention program (county infant/toddler early intervention program or MAWA preschool early intervention program) can borrow from the STL program. Educators are encouraged to conduct AT trials with the participation of the child’s/student’s multidisciplinary team, including families, in the decision-making process.

How can I contact PaTTAN Short Term Loan?

The preferred way is to email stl@pattan.net.  However, persons may also email Mike Onofrey, monofrey@pattan.net or call 717-901-2254.

Can private, for profit, or parochial schools or organizations used PaTTAN's Short Term Loan services?

They cannot unless a local educational agency has sent a student having an Individualized Education Program there, or they have a contract with the county to provide Early Intervention services.

What types of kits are available?

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication - Any system or device that facilitates communication for individuals with speech/language disorders, including low and high tech voice output communication devices.
• Blindness and Visual Impairment - Assistive technology for individuals who are blind or have visual impairments, such as magnification systems, braille displays, talking calculators, scan and read systems, braille embossers, and digital talking book players.
• Computer Access - Technologies that assist an individual with disabilities to interact with a computer, including alternative keyboards, trackballs and joysticks, vision‐based input systems, switch interfaces, and head tracking systems.
• Deaf/Hard of Hearing/Deafblind - Devices and technologies available to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf‐blind, including assistive listening systems, such as personal FM systems and amplification systems, and auditory and tactile switches.
• Switch Access/Environmental Access - Equipment that supports access to assistive devices, activities, and the environment, including mechanical and electronic switches, function activity centers, environmental control units, and page turners.
• Technology for Print/Reading/Writing Support - Technologies that support students with reading and writing, including digital talking book players, portable word processor keyboards, text to speech writing devices, and mobile devices with reader software.

Borrowers can view kits by searching for a device name or by selecting a category or by viewing an alphabetical list of all kits. Find more information about kits at https://www.pattan.net/short-term-loan/.

What are STL timelines?

We ship AT kits for a student one kit at a time. If the borrower ordered multiple kits when we receive a kit that a student has trialed, we will ship the next available kit. We generally loan STL kits for a six-week period. Frequently, there is a waiting list for popular kits. Borrowers can return kits earlier than the due date.

How are STL kits shipped and returned?

STL provides delivery and return of borrowed kits at no cost to eligible borrowers; however, we can only ship to an eligible school or early intervention program. The borrower will receive an email message one week before the end of the loan period with instructions for returning a kit. At any time during the loan period, the borrower may return a kit. Return shipping instructions are in the shipping container, or email stl@pattan.net or email monofrey@pattan.net

Will I be contacted if there is a waiting list for a kit I requested?

Yes. STL will send you an email if there is a waiting list for a kit you have requested, and we will attempt to update you every two weeks on where you are on the waiting list.

How do I cancel a kit request?

At this time, you have to email stl@pattan.net or email monofrey@pattan.net and request to cancel your order. You will need to include your name, the kit name, and for whom you ordered the kit. If you have received an email stating that the kit is being shipped, immediately call Mike at 717-901-2254. Failing to stop the kit from being shipped, you can tell your office to refuse shipment, or just ship the kit back to us via the shipping instructions, which will be in the shipping container.

How do I search for a STL kit on the PaTTAN website?

In order to borrow STL kits, educators must first register on the PaTTAN website (www.pattan.net) and then log in. Registration is required only once. Borrowers can search for STL kits in several ways:

• Use the search box under the top picture on the STL webpage to locate AT kits. In the Search Short Term Loan box, search by title by entering the kit name, or part of the kit name.
• Under “Filter by Assistive Technology:” use the pull down arrow to view all kits in an AT category. To view all STL kits, do not select a category.
• After locating desired STL kit, click “View more Details” to see a description and contents of a kit or click “Add to Cart” to request the kit. This will take borrowers to their carts.  Click the Checkout button and complete Requester Information, Ship to Information, and Student Information on the Order Form”. Finalize the request by clicking the OK button.

 

How many STL kits may I request at one time for a student?

Once selecting a kit, and clicking “Add to Cart”, then this takes you to your cart where you can select Continue Shopping or Checkout. If you want to order more kits, select Continue Shopping.

You may request up to five kits for a student at one time. If requesting multiple kits, prioritize them by clicking the small up and down arrows to the right of the red “Remove” word.

Remove a kit by clicking the red “Remove” word to the far right of the kit title.
 

What happens when I requests more than one kit for a student?

When you receive a kit for a student, the database removes the student from the active waiting lists for any other ordered kits until the you return the loaned kit, which the student has trialed.
One week prior to the due date for the first loaned kit, STL will send you an email asking if you want the other requested kits. When you reply to the email, specify the kits you still want to receive. Once the kit is returned and checked in, other requests for kits for the student will be reactivated. However, the reactivated requests go to the bottom of any waiting list(s). The reason for this policy is to give other students who have not received loans from STL a fair chance of receiving a kit in a reasonable amount of time.

Should I request more than one kit for a student?

YES: If there are more kits you think the student should trial, and it does not matter which kit the student receives first.

NO: If it does matter which device the student trials first. When the STL has multiple requests for a student, we send the first kit that we have available and the student will not be eligible for a second kit until we receive the first kit back.

What if an item is missing, malfunctioning, or broken when I receive a kit?

Upon receipt of the kit, contact Mike Onofrey at 717-901-2254 or monofrey@pattan.net or stl@pattan.net. In the body of the message, indicate the kit ID# and kit name, and describe the issue.

Return the kit to STL. If possible, STL will replace the missing, malfunctioning, or broken items. If an identical item is available, STL will send it to you. If an identical item is unavailable, we will order parts to repair or replace the item as our funds permits. When an identical kit becomes available, we will send the kit to you.

If you are unsure if the item is malfunctioning or broken, you can contact the STL Program or the manufacturer’s technical support department to see if the problem can be resolved over the phone or by email. In addition, make sure to cross-check the contents of the kit with the contents list before returning the kit to STL.

How can requesters minimize delays of STL shipments?

When requesting a STL kit, you can help minimize shipment delays by providing complete information in the Ship to Address Information and the Student Information sections of the Online Order Form:

1. In the Staff/Teacher Name field, enter both the first and last name of the Ship To Person.
2. In the Facility/Building Name field, enter the full name of the school, IU, or agency where the kit is to be sent. UPS prefers full names, rather than abbreviations. If the kit is being shipped to a private residence of the therapist (e.g., EI provider), put private residence of therapist in the Facility/Building Name field. The responsibility of the receipt and the return of kits falls on the facility/building where we ship kits.
3. In the Address Line 1 and Address Line 2 fields, enter the mailing address of the school, IU, or agency; do not enter the name of the school, IU, or agency in these fields; however, would be acceptable to enter a classroom name in one of these fields.)
4. Put the student’s first and last names in the proper fields in the Student InformationSection.
5. If you are a MAWA provider, private consultant, or employee of a charter school, or having the kit shipped to a private residence, you can expedite shipments of kits by providing complete information in the Order Notes Field in the Ship to Address Section.

 

Will I get a confirmation email after ordering a kit?

Yes. When you order a kit through the STL website, you will receive a confirmation email indicating you successfully submitted your order. If you do not receive a confirmation email, the STL website did not record your order, and you will have to resubmit the request. Contact STL if you do not receive a confirmation email after a second attempt. Also, save your confirmation emails until you receive requested kits.

In addition, you will receive an email to verify your email address once we import your order into PaTTAN’s database. If you do not receive an email from us in three to four days, you should email us at stl@pattan.net. 

 How do I request a loan extension?

We consider requests for loan extensions on a case-by-case basis. We will grant a short extension once and ONLY IF NO ONE ELSE IS WAITING FOR THE KIT.

Request for a loan extension can be made no more than one week prior to the loan due to be returned date. Email extension request to stl@pattan.net or reply to the return reminder we send.

How do I request a STL kit?

In order to borrow STL kits, educators must first register on the PaTTAN website (www.pattan.net) and then log in. Registration is required only once.
Borrowers can search for STL kits in several ways:

• Use the search box under the top picture on the STL webpage to locate AT kits. In the Search Short Term Loan box, search by title by entering the kit name, or part of the kit name.
• Under “Filter by Assistive Technology:” use the pull down arrow to view all kits in an AT category. To view all STL kits, do not select a category.
• After locating desired STL kit, click “View more Details” to see a description and contents of a kit or click “Add to Cart” to request the kit. This will take borrowers to their carts.
• Once taken to their carts, borrowers can select Continue Shopping or Checkout.
• Borrowers may request up to five kits for a student at one time. If requesting multiple kits, prioritize them by clicking the small up and down arrows to the right of the red “Remove“ word. Remove a kit by clicking the red “Remove“ word to the far right of the kit title.
• Click the Checkout button and complete Requester Information, Ship to Information, and Student Information on the Order Form”. Finalize the request by clicking the OK button.