Disability, Learning clinical trials

AssessMent and Counseling to Get the Best Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Assistive TeCHnology

The best match between any person with disability and the assistive technology (AT) only can be gotten through a complete assessment and a monitoring of the needs, abilities, priorities, difficult and limitations that he/she finds in his/her life. Without this analysis, may be the risk that the AT doesn't adapt to the expectation of the person. Like this, the user, in few time, could abandon the AT device, with the unnecessary spends of resources. Therefore, is important that any project focused in the development of new innovating AT for people with disabilities includes the perspective of outcome measures as an important phase of the research. In this sense, the incorporation of the assessment, implementation process and outcome measures is vital to get the transferability during the whole project and to get the general perspective from the final user. The protocol presents a project that aims to improve the independence, participation and functional mobility of people with disabilities. The sample is formed by people with disabilities that will participate from the first stage of the process, with an initial assessment of their abilities and needs, a complete implication during the test of technology, and in the final application of outcome measures instruments. Only with this perspective and active participation of the users is possible to carry on a user-centered approach. That fact will allow to define and to generate technological solutions that really adjust to the expectations, needs and priorities of the people with disabilities, avoiding that the AT be abandoned, with the consequent health and social spending.