In this article I want to discuss the various assistive technology services associated with assistive technology. Such services are vital to an individual with a disability who is interested in acquiring assistive technology. To begin, let us look at the definition for assistive technology services.
Assistive technology services are services that are directly related to assisting an individual with the purchase of, education of, and support of the acquired assistive technology.
To help you better understand the different types of services, below, you will find a summary of the different types of services associated with assistive technology.
The assistive technology evaluation.
In the assistive technology evaluation, the assistive technology specialist will evaluate the needs of the individual who has a disability who is interested in acquiring assistive technology. I will have more and a future article on assistive technology evaluations.
The acquisition of assistive technology.
Very simply put, this service is designed to help an individual with a disability acquire assistive technology. The assistive technology specialist can help with purchasing equipment, leasing equipment, locating loan programs, and acquiring FREE assistive technology.
Assistive technology selection.
With this service, the assistive technology specialist can assist in the selecting of assistive technology. The assistive technology specialist can also assist in designing systems that properly fit the individual. The same person can also help implement the system and help with maintaining and repairing such systems.
Coordinating therapies and interventions.
There are services available from various sources that will coordinate therapies and intervention services for assistive technology. This is typically related with education and rehabilitation services.
Training and education for individuals with disabilities.
This is a vital service that all too often is commonly overlooked. Such services are designed to teach disabled individuals on how to use assistive technology.
Training and education for professionals, family members, and other support staff.
Such services are designed to help people better understand the assistive technology system that is in use by the individual using it.
Technical support.
Simply put, this service is provided to assist the individual on problems one may encounter when using assistive technology. The service also is for a person’s support staff. When properly supported, the person’s support staff can assist with problems the disabled person may encounter.
The services discussed in this article are vital to the successful implementation of the assistive technology system. The most important one in this list is “training and education.” Without this service, a successful implementation of the system is at jeopardy. My mission is to make sure that the person with the impairment and their support team are all properly trained. This is very important to me. As you have read while browsing the site, you will realize that my goal is to, “Evaluate. Educate. Empower.”