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1. Assistive Technology service needs continue to be the most underserved, especially for the younger children with special needs.
2. Inadequate education, and therefore understanding of parents and providers of developmentally and functionally appropriate conceptualizations of AT interventions constitutes a major obstacle to timely, and goal supported AT interventions.
The primary goal of the Project was to apply interdisciplinary, family-centered, and circle-of support principles to Lanterman's AT Consultation service, with a focus on education, experimentation, and problem solving with AT. The pilot project was imbedded in Lanterman's Resource Center, and integrated with its Service Coordination division, to maximize the potential for comprehensive and integrated resource and service access for clients, families and service providers, and to increase awareness of AT issues by clients' circle of support. As a corollary, to provide parent-professional partnering in cohesive conceptualization of AT intervention needs for the child population, seven 3-hour long, team-delivered AT/AAC workshops were designed and delivered at two community-based service provider agencies, with joint attendance of therapists and parents. An AT Lending Library provided opportunities for experimentation with AT. The focus on education, using the face-to-face, interdisciplinary family consultation was the unusual features. The benefits were seen in increased participation of parents and clients in need identification and conceptualization, helping parents to bridge between service systems (Regional Center vs. Public School, or vs. Independent or Assisted Living), and increase the clients' independence in AT-related problem solving. |