Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Family And Cultural Issues In Assistive Technology, Howard P. Parette, Joan Breslin Larson

Faculty Publications - College of Education

To ensure effective assistive technology (AT) decision-making for children with disabilities, families should ideally be actively involved in the process. An evolving issue in family-centered practice is the role of cultural and linguistic issues that may influence the participation of family members in AT decision-making and subsequent implementation of and support for devices and services. Culturally and linguistically-based values may wield strong influences on family perceptions of AT, and successful implementation of AT solutions agreed upon by team members.

This discussion will address issues related to identifying and developing an understanding of family perspectives about goals and expectations for AT …