Technology Access, Utility, and Unmet Needs: Results From the Arc's FINDS Survey.
Technology feels useful only to families already well-supported, so BCBAs must actively bridge the gap for everyone else.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The Arc ran a big caregiver survey called FINDS. Over the families answered questions about technology.
They asked if tablets, phones, or apps were easy to get and helpful for their son or daughter with IDD.
The team then looked at which traits made caregivers say tech was useful.
What they found
Caregivers rated tech as more useful when the person was older, had a job, or finished high school.
Fewer health problems and already getting state services also boosted the tech score.
In short, families already doing well saw technology as easy and helpful.
How this fits with other research
Tanis et al. (2012) asked adults with IDD themselves and found low use. Baker et al. (2025) asked caregivers and found the same gap, so the two surveys agree.
Fortney et al. (2021) showed rural adults get fewer medical visits. The new survey adds that these same families likely see tech as less reachable, lining up the barriers.
Ummer-Christian et al. (2018) listed dentist-training gaps for kids. Baker et al. (2025) now lists tech-training gaps, showing service systems repeat the same mistake across fields.
Why it matters
If your client is young, unemployed, or not yet linked to state services, plan extra steps. Offer device trials, write simple instructions, and loop in service coordinators. Closing the tech gap early can open jobs, leisure, and independence later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Technology can enhance the quality of life of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, little is known about the extent to which it is accessible to and useful for people with IDD and their caregivers from different backgrounds. A secondary analysis was conducted using 3,113 caregiver responses from the Arc's Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports Survey to explore associations between technology access, utility, unmet needs, and various demographic characteristics of individuals with IDD and their families. Overall, reports of family members with IDD being older, employed, having more education, less health-related needs, and greater access to state-based services were associated with technology being reported as accessible and useful. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1177/1540796918777730