Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
This study confirms the previously mentioned studies and supports the use of the ATD PA
as an appropriate tool for the assessment of the predisposition to AT.
3.2.4 The MPT Model and the ICF
The different measures in the MPT process are compatible with the ICF and allow the assess-
ment of relevant domains affected by the use of technology. Table 3.2 lists the major domains
of the ICF, some examples of AT and other forms of support, and the most appropriate MPT
measure for the evaluation of each ICF domain (based on Scherer and Glueckauf 2005).
3.2.5 Different Versions of Matching Person and Technology
To provide relevant measures for the various interests and needs of people with disabilities
across age groups, there are separate versions of MPT. The evaluation process for Matching
Assistive Technology and Child (MATCH) was designed by Scherer (1997) within the MPT
model to provide a person-centered approach for the assessment of individual predisposi-
tion to the use of AT by infants and children between 0 and 5 years of age with a separate
version for those children of school age.
The MATCH process consists of a series of tools designed for those who aim to obtain a
better match between the child and support in the form of technologies, i.e., producers and
evaluators of AT, social and family care centers, coordinators of centers for technical aid,
psychotechnologists, therapists, and parents. Other adaptations of the MPT are designed
to address specific disabilities or specific areas of evaluation, e.g., the Cognitive Support
Technology Predisposition Assessment (Scherer et al., Early Online).
3.3 The Assistive Technology Assessment Process
AT plays a crucial role in supporting the social integration of people with disabilities. The
AT matching process involves a sequential and articulated series of assessments conducted
by experts with different professional skills: A successful matching process is determined
by both the assessment protocol model and the skills of the multidisciplinary team. The
matching process takes place in centers specializing in AT in which a team of experts
plays a mediating role between AT and person with a disability. In Western countries,
this process is characterized by two seemingly opposing models: In one, more prevalent
in some European countries (e.g., Italy), the person who needs an AT is considered as a
user/patient; in the other model, more common in Anglo-Saxon countries, the person is
rather a consumer or customer. This difference is related to differences in policies toward
assistance services. In fact, in the first case, the center does not sell products, but it only
provides assistance and evaluation services; in the second case, the center for technical
aids may also manufacture and sell the AT that it provides. Compared with the second
model, which emphasizes the centrality of customer satisfaction, the first model grants a
more neutral approach in the evaluation and the assignation of the technology. The ATA
process describes both the skills and functions of the multidisciplinary team involved
during the matching process and their mutual interaction. The ATA process can be read
both from the user/customer's point of view and from the point of view of the center for
technical aid (see Section 3.1).
