Family and cultural issues in assistive technology

To ensure effective assistive technology (AT) decision-making for children with disabilities, families should ideally be actively involved in the process. An evolving issue in family-centered practice is the role of cultural and linguistic issues that may influence the participation of family members in AT decision-making and subsequent implementation of and support for devices and services. Culturally and linguistically-based values may wield strong influences on family perceptions of AT, and successful implementation of AT solutions agreed upon by team members. This discussion will address issues related to identifying and developing an understanding of family perspectives about goals and expectations for AT that are often very different from the perspectives of professionals. A range of cultural and linguistic values will be explored, with emphasis on how such values may affect AT decision-making. We will also explore acculturation issues, including generational differences, in an effort to better understand how these influences affect AT decision-making