Training Issues in
Assistive Technology
Lead Investigator
Toby M. Long, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Training
Director, Division of Physical Therapy
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
Children with disabilities with special health care needs (SHCN) have complex habilitative and health care needs requiring multiple services throughout their lives. Assistive technology (AT) and the assistive technology service system have been underutilized (Church & Glennon, 1992) by providers of services to children. This underutilization impacts significantly on the lives of the children, especially on how well and how easily they are integrated in school, home, and community activities.
As a whole, the Consortium focuses on access to rehabilitative services for children with disabilities and special health care needs. Although access to providers of services (for example, medical, therapy, education) has been explored in the literature, little attention has been given to the barriers individuals face accessing AT or the AT system.
This study will examine barriers and facilitators to accessing appropriate assistive technology and assistive technology services from the perspective of the provider, the payer, and the consumer. One specific barrier, which is the major focus of this study, is the scarcity of providers who are trained to design, use, and teach others to use assistive technology. This study, consisting of three components, is designed to increase knowledge regarding the training of service providers who diagnose and assess the assistive technology needs of children with disabilities with special health care needs (SHCN). Specifically, this study will:
- Determine training issues in assistive technology
- Determine training expectations for providers
- Examine consistency among training programs and trainers
- Develop training materials addressing needs of various stakeholders involved with assistive technology.
- This knowledge will be used to develop training programs and materials that will enhance the skills and attitudes of professionals in the use of appropriate AT and the AT system.
Research Team Lead Investigator:
Toby M. Long, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Physical Therapy
Director for Training
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
3307 M Street, NW - Suite 401
Washington, DC 20007-3935
Tel: (202) 687-8742
Fax: (202) 687-8899
Email: longt@georgetown.edu
Assistive Technology Annotated Bibliography: Video Tape and Compact Disks (in PDF) (in MSWord)
Assistive Technology: Ask the Expert (Transcript of November 29, 2001 online discussion )
Consortium Partners
[ Family Voices ]
[ Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development ]
[ The Heller School at Brandeis University ]
[ Institute for Child Health Policy ]
