Module 5 – Assistive Technology Assessments (P.8 of 8)
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Module Summary

In this module various assessment concepts such as:

  • Assistive Technology Assessment - the process through which information about a person with a disability is gathered and analyzed so that appropriate AT, regardless of continuum level (low, medium, high), can be recommended and a plan for intervention developed
  • Reliability - the consistency with which an assessment instrument measures a particular construct ; the idea that the evaluation instruments used yield consistent results
  • Validity - the result of an instrument measuring what it intends to measure effectively and accurately
  • Multidisciplinary Team - a team consisting of various professionals such as teachers, parents, therapists, special education professionals, school administrators, doctors, and AT professionals who perform AT assessments
  • Ecological Evaluation – the part of the AT assessment that takes into account the various settings where AT will be used (e.g. home, work, school) and the people (e.g. family members, co-workers, friends, other people with disabilities) the individual will interact with in these settings
  • Functional Evaluation – an evaluation of an individual's functional capabilities and functional limitations in the immediate environment to help determine the proper AT device for the individual.
  • Functional Capabilities – motor, sensory, cognitive, and language abilities an individual has the ability to use in order to perform tasks
  • Functional Limitations – difficulties an individual has in relation to his/her motor, sensory, cognitive, and language abilities that can affect different aspects of independent living, academic, and work environments
  • Person-Technology Match - the result of a successful recommendation and provision of an AT device based on a thorough and accurate AT assessment

Not only were assessment concepts defined and discussed, but also AT adaptations and the SETT frameworks were discussed. Both concepts were presented as considerations for AT interventions and service delivery. The next module will present a brief overview of AT applications for persons with a variety of disabilities. This overview will provide some disability-related definitions and will present some of the no, low, medium, and high tech applications for these disabilities.

Review Questions

These questions are intended to help you review important material from this module, they do not need to be submitted.

  1. Define the following terms:
    1. Validity
    2. Reliability
    3. Ecological assessment
    4. AT assessment
    5. Multi-disciplinary Teams
  2. What are functional capabilities?
  3. What are functional limitations?
  4. Why should AT assessments be ecological, practical, and ongoing?
  5. What are some of the factors that you need to consider in the process of conducting or participating of an AT assessment?
  6. Discuss some of the AT assessment models.

Please complete and submit Assignment #5.

Congratulations! You have finished Module 5.

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