Assessing children with multiple disabilities for assistive technology: A framework for quality assurance

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Desideri, Lorenzo^{a; *} | Mingardi, Alberto^a | Stefanelli, Brunella^a | Tanzini, Daniela^a | Bitelli, Claudio^a | Roentgen, Uta^b | de Witte, Luc^{b; c}

Affiliations: [a] Centre for Assistive Technology, Az. USL Bologna, Ausilioteca, AIAS Bologna Onlus, Bologna, Italy | [b] Research Centre for Technology in Care, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht, The Netherlands | [c] Department of Health Services Research, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Lorenzo Desideri, Area Ausili Corte Roncati Azienda USL Bologna, AIAS Bologna Onlus, Via Sant' Isaia 90, 40123 Bologna, Italy. Tel.: +39 051 659 7739; Fax: +39 051 659 7737; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: The design of public assistive technology (AT) service delivery systems in Europe varies according to each country's culture, disability policy, socio-economic context, health care system organization and history. Though it is recognized by the AT community that it is impossible and not useful to develop a “perfect” or “standard” model for AT service delivery, a way to reduce the fragmentation and increase the collaboration among AT providers has been recently highlighted by the AAATE Position Paper on Service Delivery Systems in Europe. In particular, this document emphasizes the importance for AT providers to share their practices of service delivery in order to “understand to which extent good practices could be exported from one country to another”; and implement common strategies for the evaluation of the quality of the service delivery. In keeping with these recommendations, the present paper illustrates an interdisciplinary AT assessment model targeting children with multiple disabilities which is grounded on the experience of the Centre for Assistive Technology (CAT) operating in the municipality of Bologna, Italy. In addition, a proposal for a conceptual framework for evaluating the quality of service delivery is developed.

Keywords: Children, multiple disabilities, assistive technology, service delivery, model, quality assessment

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-130378

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 159-166, 2013