Dilemmas, Challenges, and Opportunities

The chapter, "Dilemmas, Challenges, and Opporunities", taken from "Living in the State of Stuck", was a thorough, realistic presentation of the factors that must be considered in providing AT for people with disabilities, based on what led to more or less success with AT in accomplishing the goal of improving quality of life, functioning and self-concept. I really like how this view was woven through the article. As the author pointed out, "If an AT device doesn't do this, it will not be used, nor should it."

As I was reading it, I kept making connections with the AT successes and problems I've seen with students with learning disabilities. The research was all there as why the students became avid users or were reluctant. For example, the family of an LD student has purchased a laptop for him to use at school but he leaves it at home. The milieu is not conducive to his use of the laptop. He has pressure from others, rather than than choosing to use it himself. It is too heavy to carry in addition to his bookbag It doesn't fit in his locker and he does not like having to come to the office to have it stored . As an adolescent, personality factors make this AT not suitable. He does not want to be identified as having a disability. He has deficits in the skills needed which is an adequate typing speed. As to the technology, he is comfortable with the computer, albeit very slow, but prefers his normal routine of having his mom' support and scribing when he gets home.
The author has developed an indepth assessment tool to determine a good fit with the individual's needs and the technology available. When I went over the Nova Scotia Assistive Technology manual, I realized that the process of determining a student's AT needs and monitoring and refining his or her use includes consideration of these factors.
Having sat in on many Program Planning meetings where a students' adaptations including AT were discussed, I see how helpful having this framework is to analyze why the AT is working or not and problem solve with improvement of the student's quality of life, functioning and self-concept in mind.