Editing Assistive technology (section)

== Impacts ==
Overall, assistive technology aims to allow disabled people to "participate more fully in all aspects of life (home, school, and community)" and increases their opportunities for "education, social interactions, and potential for meaningful employment".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Considering Assistive Technology {{!}} Center for Parent Information and Resources |url=http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/considering-at/ |access-date=November 25, 2015 |website=www.parentcenterhub.org}}</ref> It creates greater independence and control for disabled individuals. For example, in one study of 1,342 infants, toddlers and preschoolers, all with some kind of developmental, physical, sensory, or cognitive disability, the use of assistive technology created improvements in child development.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Desch |first1=Larry W. |last2=Gaebler-Spira |first2=Deborah |date=June 1, 2008 |title=Prescribing Assistive-Technology Systems: Focus on Children With Impaired Communication |url=http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/121/6/1271 |journal=Pediatrics |language=en |volume=121 |issue=6 |pages=1271–1280 |doi=10.1542/peds.2008-0695 |issn=0031-4005 |pmid=18519500 |doi-access=free}}</ref> These included improvements in "cognitive, social, communication, literacy, motor, adaptive, and increases in engagement in learning activities".<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Dunst, Trivette |author2=Hamby, Simkus |date=August 2013 |title=Research Summary on Assistive Technology Interventions |url=http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/Handout/CONNECT-Handout-5-1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://community.fpg.unc.edu/sites/community.fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/Handout/CONNECT-Handout-5-1.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=November 24, 2015 |website=Community}}</ref> Additionally, it has been found to lighten caregiver load.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nicolson |first1=Amy |last2=Moir |first2=Lois |last3=Millsteed |first3=Jeannine |date=March 22, 2012 |title=Impact of assistive technology on family caregivers of children with physical disabilities: a systematic review |journal=[[Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology]] |volume=7 |issue=5 |pages=345–349 |doi=10.3109/17483107.2012.667194 |pmid=22436000 |s2cid=2212565}}</ref>  Both family and professional caregivers benefit from assistive technology. Through its use, the time that a family member or friend would need to care for a patient significantly decreases. However, studies show that care time for a professional caregiver increases when assistive technology is used. Nonetheless, their work load is significantly easier as the assistive technology frees them of having to perform certain tasks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Wayne L. |last2=Wiener |first2=Joshua M. |date=June 1, 2015 |title=The Impact of Assistive Technologies on Formal and Informal Home Care |journal=The Gerontologist |language=en |volume=55 |issue=3 |pages=422–433 |doi=10.1093/geront/gnt165 |issn=0016-9013 |pmid=24379018 |doi-access=free}}</ref> There are several platforms that use machine learning to identify the appropriate assistive device to suggest to patients, making assistive devices more accessible.<ref>{{cite web |last=Innitie |title=Atvisor |url=https://www.atvisor.ai/ |website=atvisor.ai}}</ref>