The process of assessing assistive technology needs is no different than any other OT assessment, where we look at the client's occupational goals, determine what skills and skill deficits are present that will relate to those goals, and consider the environment that the occupations will be performed in. In Cook & Polgar Chapter 2 you were introduced to the HAAT model, which is one way of understanding the process. As you saw, the HAAT considers:

• the Human: sensory skills, motor skills, cognitive skills, emotional factors. In particular, it is important to consider how an individual receives and interprets information through vision, hearing and/or sensation, uses cognition and other emotional and intellectual skills to interpret the demand and plan a response, and integrates messages from higher brain centers to produce a response.
• Activity: chosen areas of participation based on individual preferences and role demands. What does the individual need/want to do, and what will be an acceptable outcome?
• Assistive Technology: various options available to enable performance. AT is considered an "extrinsic enabler" - something outside of the person that enables performance.

Surrounding all of this is the Context - the physical, social, and institutional environments that dictate how it will all work and what is possible.

• Will the voice input computer system be used in a quiet, private room at home or in a noisy workplace with frequent interruptions?
• Will the communication device be used in conversation with a best friend, or to answer questions on a test?
• Will the office doors be big enough to accommodate a large power chair - and will the individual be able to get into the restroom? Context is huge.

Does this sound a lot like a PEO perspective? It is - all we are doing is adding the technology element and its many special considerations.

Overall, you need to consider AT assessment to be a process - not a matter of pulling different pieces of equipment off a shelf and letting the person try a number of options until you find something that works. Trial and error doesn't work because it:

• doesn't extend beyond the testing scenario and consider how the AT will work relative to a full range of real life uses, and fluctuations in human performance ability
• doesn't provide valid information upon which to base your funding request
• doesn't consider all the contextual issues that are so important
• allows the person to repeatedly fail until finally a workable solution is found

Most accepted technology assessment models are systematic, comprehensive, and require sound assessment of skills. Remember, the big things you will contribute to an AT assessment as an OT are your understanding of human performance issues, your ability to break down activities into components, and your ability to see the big picture of what it takes to successfully perform an occupation.

Another popular model that is used in the special education context is the SETT model (Student, Equipment, Tasks & Tools). This model is used to problem solve around potential technology solutions, and helps the IEP or AT team systematically consider key factors in the school situation relative to each identified child. For more information on this model, visit: http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/blog/permanent-resources/2010/02/sett/