Theoretical Perspectives On Assistive Technology

AT System

Consists of…

• an AT device,

• a human operator who has a disability, and

• an environment in which the activity is to be carried out

Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) Model

• Human:

  • Potential Users and Stakeholders (e.g., competencies, abilities)

• Activity:

  • The desired functional tasks that the user wants to do but cannot do without the device

• Context:

  • All environments in which the activities will be completed, and the device will be used

• Assistive Technology:

  • Device used to improve activity or functional performance

• Interfaces:

  • Analyze how interactions need to be handled

HAAT: Human

• Human:

  • “Someone doing something some place”

• Human performance

  • “the result of a pattern of actions learned to satisfy an objective according to some standard”

• Human ability:

  • “the person’s capacity and limitations to learn a skill”

    • what ability does the client bring to the situation

• Must be assessed:

  • Physical skills

  • Cognitive Skills

  • Insight and Awareness

    • if a patient doesn’t have this, the type of technology recommended highly changes (give them a caregiver-controlled AT, not something they’d have to operate independently; they won’t have the discipline to use the AT)

  • Emotional status

• Expert v. Novice:

  • Level of Proficiency (Ability vs. Skill)

    • having skill —> having speed, comfortability, efficiency

• “Intrinsic enablers”

  • in this case, the human

• Structured Interviews

• Objective assessment tools

HAAT: Activity

• An individual person preference: life roles, position in society

• The tasks that enable one to complete life roles

• Depends on the environment

• Mediated by performance and skill

• Need to identify key activities

  • How often do they need to perform the activity

  • Activity analysis

  • Consider the perspective of the user

HAAT: Setting/Context

• Physical Context

• Social Context

• Cultural Context

  • e.g., where do they go on vacation? what is their sense of personal space?

• Institutional Context

  • e.g., how accessible is class at school (e.g., specifically Columbia University)?

• Micro

  • the closest people in your own personal context

  • e.g., family, friends

• Meso

  • people you aren’t the most close with, but still see often

  • e.g., people you work with, go to school with, see at the grocery store

• Macro

  • people who you will never meet but impact your life significantly

  • e.g., the president

HAAT: Assistive Technology

• Interface between the human and the activity (extrinsic enabler)

• May become a part of oneself

• Operation may be shared with a caregiver or aide

• Level of independence

  • that the person needs vs wants

• Tied to the environment it is used in

  • e.g., what kind of wheelchair do you need if you go to the beach often? —> one that can run on sand!

HETI: Human-Environment-Technology Interface

what is the best way for a human to interact with their technology to produce their desired outcomes?

• what will be most beneficial? (e.g., type of wheelchair wheels? whether the person is pushing the wheelchair themself vs they have a caregiver pushing them?)

SETT

• Student –

  • abilities, special needs, and requirements

• Environment –

  • materials available in the environment (physical arrangement, special concerns, instructional arrangement, expected changes, support, and resources available)

• Tasks –

  • activities taking place in the environment, supporting curriculum, critical elements of the activities, and modifying activities

• Tools –

  • technology options

    • the AT in this model

IMPACT2 Model

model created for AT

Parallel Interventions Model

provides solutions that can change over time to become more advanced; parallel interventions for today, but also tomorrow