Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2.
Promoting the assistive solution
(ψ hexagon 2)
a.
Assistive solution multidisciplinary team evaluation
: The multidisciplinary team
arranges a suitable setting for the matching assessment and, along with the
user/client, assesses the assistive solution proposed, tries the solution, and
gathers outcome data. After the matching process the multidisciplinary team
evaluates the outcome. If successful, the team proposes an assistive solution
to the user/client and schedules a new appointment. If not successful, the
process restarts. In this step the clinical psychologist advocates the user/cli-
ent's request guaranteeing a user-driven assignation process through which
by selecting one or more technological aids an assistive solution is reached.
Active listening, empathy, and ability to reformulate in a shared language the
user/client requirements are the main instruments used by the clinical psy-
chologist in this step. Furthermore, the psychologist might offer the opportu-
nity to reframe the relationship between the user/client and his or her family
within the framework of the new challenges, limitations, and
restrictions they
face with the introduction of a new AT.
b.
User/client agreement
:
The multidisciplinary team proposes the assistive solu-
tion to the user/client, who evaluates whether or not the technological aid
proposed by the professionals is a suitable solution. If yes, the user/client then
goes ahead with the process; if no, the user/client exits the process without a
solution for their request or waits for new technological products or profes-
sionals' solutions. The clinical psychologist may play a central role in this
step (e.g., by requesting that the user/client explores the reasons for rejection,
especially if they are related to personal factors or factors depending on the
context of human relationships). Although the main objective of the ATA pro-
cess is the best assistive solution for the user/client, it is equally true that often
a sufficiently good solution is better than no solution.
3. User support and follow-up
(ψ hexagon 3)
When the technological aid is delivered to the user/client, a follow-up and ongo-
ing user support are activated. The clinical psychologist works to promote the
well-being of the user/client by regularly monitoring the good quality of matching
achieved in terms of impact on his or her personal empowerment.
8.6.2 How a Psychologist Facilitates the Awareness of the User/
Client's Context and Multidisciplinary Team Perspectives
8.6.2.1 Methodology
In the model we propose here, we suggest that the person with disability should be the
focus of intervention, being the real “protagonist” of the overall process. Some specifica-
tions are otherwise requested, depending on the specific features of the subject, by which
we mean macrofeatures that can be used as guidelines to orient the methodology of working
“with” the subject. These features are the age of the disabled subject and the type of disabil-
ity. These variables overlap with other variables connected with the “time” and thus with
when the clinical psychologist operates, whether during the assessment phase, the evalu-
ation of the user's request, the phase of promotion of the assistive solution, or, in the third
moment, the phase of support and follow-up (see Section 8.6.1). From the methodological
point of view, the clinical psychologist has tools specific to his or her profession: the clinical
interview and psychological tests (personality tests, performance-based personality tests,
