Assistive Technology (AT) refers to products or services (specialized or mainstream) used by (or for) persons with disabilities (Sik-Lányi 2015) to improve their quality of life by supporting cognitive and social skills and autonomy.Given the increase in mainstream technologies in everyone's life, is there still a specific AT development filed and a dedicated market? How are they characterized?To explore the debate and the areas of development, a systematic review was conducted following a multiphase procedure (Cochrane, 2011) in order to analyse the AT dedicated to children and young people, adults and the elderly.The research, in three databases (SCOPUS, IEEE, Web of Science) with keywords, identified 951 articles. 77 duplicates removed, the AT identified in the remaining 874 articles (415 children / young people, 106 adults, 353 elderly) were classified according to the ISO 9999 Standard and connected to the ICF domains. Despite the heterogeneity of the identified products, specific research lines emerge according to the different age groups: technologies for practicing skills and communication for children and adolescents, for work and professional training for adults and for the care and protection for the elderly.The results highlight the constant and renewed attention of the scientific community for AT, also characterized by a high technological innovation (sensors, cognitive assistants, robots, wireless systems, wearables). This makes the sector as a border area, challenging for special education and for the life project of the person with disability
Tecnologie Assistive (AT) indica prodotti o servizi (specializzati o di comune commercio) utilizzati da (o per) persone con disabilità (Sik-Lányi 2015) per migliorarne la qualità di vita supportando abilità cognitive, sociali e di autonomia.Dato l’incremento di tecnologie mainstream nella vita di ciascuno, esiste ancora un settore di sviluppo specifico di AT e un mercato dedicato? Come si caratterizzano?Per esplorare il dibattito e le aree di sviluppo, è stata condotta una systematic review seguendo una procedura multifase (Cochrane 2011) al fine di analizzare le AT dedicate a bambini e giovani, adulti e anziani.La ricerca, in tre database (SCOPUS, IEEE, Web of Science) con parole chiave, ha individuato 951 articoli. Rimossi 77 duplicati, le AT individuate nei rimanenti 874 articoli (415 bambini/giovani, 106 adulti, 353 anziani) sono state catalogate secondo lo Standard ISO 9999 e ricondotte ai domini ICF. Pur nell’eterogeneità dei prodotti individuati, si rintracciano delle linee di ricerca specifiche a seconda delle diverse fasce di età: ausili per l’esercizio di abilità e la comunicazione per bambini e adolescenti, per il lavoro e la formazione professionale per adulti e per la cura e la protezione per anziani.I risultati evidenziano la costante e rinnovata attenzione della comunità scientifica per le AT, caratterizzate altresì da una elevata innovazione tecnologica (sensori, assistenti cognitivi, robot, sistemi wireless, wearable). Ciò rende tale settore una zona di frontiera, sfidante per la pedagogia speciale e per il progetto di vita della persona con disabilità.
Le tecnologie assistive per la disabilità tra attualità e innovazione: una systematic review
Sacchi, Fabio
2020-01-01
Abstract
Assistive Technology (AT) refers to products or services (specialized or mainstream) used by (or for) persons with disabilities (Sik-Lányi 2015) to improve their quality of life by supporting cognitive and social skills and autonomy.Given the increase in mainstream technologies in everyone's life, is there still a specific AT development filed and a dedicated market? How are they characterized?To explore the debate and the areas of development, a systematic review was conducted following a multiphase procedure (Cochrane, 2011) in order to analyse the AT dedicated to children and young people, adults and the elderly.The research, in three databases (SCOPUS, IEEE, Web of Science) with keywords, identified 951 articles. 77 duplicates removed, the AT identified in the remaining 874 articles (415 children / young people, 106 adults, 353 elderly) were classified according to the ISO 9999 Standard and connected to the ICF domains. Despite the heterogeneity of the identified products, specific research lines emerge according to the different age groups: technologies for practicing skills and communication for children and adolescents, for work and professional training for adults and for the care and protection for the elderly.The results highlight the constant and renewed attention of the scientific community for AT, also characterized by a high technological innovation (sensors, cognitive assistants, robots, wireless systems, wearables). This makes the sector as a border area, challenging for special education and for the life project of the person with disabilityI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
