Eight factors consisting of 67 items related to assistive technology practices

What is it about?

This study identified the factors that underlie assistive technology (AT) and validated items to be used in an instrument intended to evaluate AT use. The study consisted of four phases: 99 items were developed though a comprehensive literature review; the items were refined through three layers of review; 1,467 respondents rated the results of the reviews; and exploratory factor analysis, and three confirmatory factor analyses were employed to analyze the data.

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Why is it important?

Despite the promises of AT, an excessively high rate of abandonment has been reported. The reasons for this abandonment are many, but include mismatch between the user and technology, and the user’s preference for and opinions about the AT not being taken into consideration. Most of these issues could be resolved through proper evaluation of needs and functionalities prior to and during use of an AT device. That is, given the prevalence of AT devices and practices and the increasing numbers of users, special education teachers and AT practitioners need evidence to back their AT decision-making. There is a paucity of research, however, on the quality of AT such as measurement, assessment, validation and reliability studies, standards, and guidelines. In response to the need for evidence-based practices, this research identified eight factors of AT practice along with 67 items thought to promote quality of AT.

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