ABSTRACT
Assistive technology may reduce some of the barriers to learning that learners with disabilities face. Teachers generally have little guidance in selecting assistive technology for learners. This chapter will present the adapted ATD Selection Framework as a useful tool to assist teachers in during assistive technology selection. The framework was adapted in order to ensure its application to assistive technology selection for children in a variety of contexts. In Phase 1, a systematic review of published studies identifying the factors influencing the provision of AT was conducted. In Phase 2, two online focus groups were conducted to explore South African rehabilitation professionals’ perceptions regarding factors influencing the AT selection process. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis of data from both sources was conducted to identify factors that form part of the framework. In Phase 3, the findings were integrated to adapt the ADT Selection framework. Four overarching factors were confirmed to influence assistive technology selection for children, namely environmental, personal, assessment-related and factors related to the assistive technology itself. The chapter explores how each of these factors can be considered by teachers when selecting the appropriate technology for learners with disabilities.
