Technology for Adults with Intellectual Disability: Secondary Analysis of a Scoping Review.
Khalilah R Johnson, Meghan G Blaskowitz, Wanda J Mahoney
PMID 36911970WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with intellectual disability used many technologies in occupational therapy literature, including prompts, schedules, smartphones, communication supports, and mobility aids.
This maps what has been described, not evidence that any technology improves outcomes.
Key findings
01Fifty-six articles met inclusion criteria for the secondary analysis.
02Technology supports were grouped into categories such as cognitive supports, mainstream technologies, supplemental communication, aids for daily living, seating and mobility, control interfaces, and preparatory technologies.
03Cognitive supports were reported in 27 articles, and mainstream technologies in 22 articles.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The data were collected for an earlier occupational therapy scoping review, not specifically to describe technology, so some technology articles may have been missed. Only articles published in English between January 2002 and January 2018 were included, so newer technologies and non-English work are outside the map. The review described what technologies were used or mentioned, not whether they improved function, participation, safety, or independence. Some included articles only briefly mentioned technology, often in discussion, so the evidence behind some categories may be thin. Technologies in older articles may be outdated or obsolete, such as iPod Touch, limiting direct use in current practice.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that assistive technology improves function or participation for adults with intellectual disability. The paper maps technologies described in 56 articles, including brief mentions, and reports no patient outcomes or effectiveness.