Assistive technology interventions to support children

We have released an evidence snapshot looking at effectiveness of assistive technology interventions to support children. 

This snapshot focuses on supporting children younger than 9 years old with assistive technology, who have:

  • physical or intellectual disability or developmental delay
  • goals focused on communication, mobility, and participation.

Assistive technology can be any equipment, device, product or software that:

  • helps children to do things more easily and safely
  • allows them to explore their environment, build independence and enhance socialisation 
  • improves the quality of life for children, their families and carers. 

We undertook a systematic search of published literature databases to identify systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, scoping reviews or evidence-based guidelines.

The systematic search identified 34 reviews to include in the evidence snapshot.

  • Fourteen reviews looked at the effectiveness of assistive technology for communication and language.
  • Fifteen reviews included assistive technology to assist movement and improve overall mobility. 
  • Five reviews explored supports for comfort and independence at home.

This snapshot talks about:

  • the importance of early assistive technology intervention
  • the effectiveness of assistive technology for:
    • communication and language
    •  mobility
    • at home and in the community
  • the limits of available research and identifies areas for future research.

This evidence snapshot has informed the development of our guides for supporting your child with assistive technology . 

This page current as of
14 May 2024