Too Much Technology?

The principles of UDL call for multiple means of engagement. While I agree with Rose and Meyer's advocacy of new technology in schools, I have seen an over reliance on technology in some classrooms. Last semester, I worked with a fifth grade student who uses a Neo, a portable word processing keyboard, to type all of his assignments in school. His handwriting is poor but still legible. His teachers decided to let him type all of his assignments on the Neo instead of working with him to improve his handwriting. When the student goes home, he has difficulty completing his assignments without the Neo, which remains in the classroom. I fear that teachers may use technology to substitute learning important skills, such as handwriting. I think it is important for teachers to assess what students can accomplish without assistive technology to avoid creating an unnecessary over reliance on it. 
On the other hand, some students may not have any access to the curriculum without the use of assistive technology. In the classroom I currently student teach in, three of my five students communicate using an iPad application called Proloquo2go. It is a new form of an alternative augmentative communication device. Without it, one student would not be able to convey how badly he wants to go to Disney World or respond to academic prompts.