Family members' reports of the technology use of family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Computer use has risen among people with IDD, but other assistive tech remains stuck at 1990s levels.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked family members about the technology habits of relatives with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
They used the same survey questions that Ingham et al. (1992) used twenty years earlier.
The goal was to see what had changed since the 1990s.
What they found
Computer use has gone up since the 1990s.
Use of other assistive tech, such as communication devices or mobility aids, has stayed flat.
School-age users show the biggest variety of needs.
How this fits with other research
Ingham et al. (1992) surveyed 680 people and found computers were already the most wanted tool. Leaf et al. (2012) show the trend kept climbing, but other tools lag behind.
Leezenbaum et al. (2019) now call for big-data sources like wearables and telehealth to replace old-style surveys. Their 2019 paper acts as a successor, pushing the field past the 2012 snapshot.
Tyler et al. (2021) confirm that live-video assessment works for kids with ASD. Together these studies hint that simply owning tech is not enough; we also need smart ways to assess and deliver it.
Why it matters
If you write AT plans, do not assume clients already have the tools they need. Ask about computers, tablets, and low-tech aids separately. Update assessments each year, especially for school-age clients, because needs shift quickly. Pair the survey data with newer tech-delivered assessments to keep plans current.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: A nationwide survey of family members of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ranging in age from birth through adulthood was conducted to replicate a similar effort by Wehmeyer and update the knowledge base concerning technology use by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. METHOD: Survey responses provided information about use of technology for mobility, hearing and vision, communication, independent living, and in the area of computer use. In addition, survey items queried the use of electronic and information technology devices such as use of email, mobile telephones and digital cameras. RESULTS: Survey results showed that although the use of computers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is more prevalent, other technology use frequency is much the same as in the late 1990s. However, technology needs did vary among school-age individuals over time. CONCLUSION: Implications of results for technology use of people with disabilities are discussed through the lens of frequency of use and needs for individuals with disabilities.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2012 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01489.x