Possible assistive technology solutions for people with moderate to severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: considerations on their function and long-term role

The paper presents several assistive technology solutions that may be used to help people with moderate to severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities reach relevant goals such as strengthening object-manipulation and ambulation responses and carrying out multistep tasks. For each of the technology solutions, the paper examines (a) the specific function (i.e. the way it helps people achieve the goal targeted) and (b) the possible role over time (i.e. whether it might serve as a temporary or permanent form of support). The basic functions of the assistive technology solutions presented entail: increasing people's motivation, supplementing people's cognition (working memory), and bridging the gap between people's motor, sensory/orientation, and verbal functioning and the functioning level required to achieve the goals targeted. Based on the knowledge available to date, the role of the technology solutions over time may be considered: (a) modifiable, with the possibility of reducing or even completely fading out the use of such solutions, when their function is to increase people's motivation or support people's cognitive/memory performance, and (b) practically unalterable when their function is to bridge the gap between people's limited sensory, motor, and verbal skills and the skill level required to reach a relevant goal.