Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services: Implications for Physical Therapists

Abstract

&NA; Assistive technology devices and assistive technology services are specifically defined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Physical therapists who provide services under IDEA are often members of the team who must consider a student's need for or potential benefit from assistive technology as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process. There is little agreement within the field of assistive technology as to what constitutes high quality assistive technology services. The Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services were made available in 2000 to provide practitioners with a description of the essential elements of assessing, providing, and implementing assistive technology services under IDEA. The purpose of this paper is to introduce to physical therapists the quality indicators and discuss how they can be integrated into practice.