Assistive Technology as a Self-Management Tool for Prompting Students with Intellectual Disabilities to Initiate and Complete Daily Tasks: A Literature Review

This paper summarizes the results of a review of the empirical literature (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005) focusing on use of assistive technology as a self-management tool for persons with intellectual disabilities. Forty investigations were identified which provided information on assistive technology to assist persons with disabilities to initiate and complete daily tasks. Four areas of research were defined and analyzed through the identified studies: (a) pictorial prompts; (b) tactile prompts; (c) auditory prompts; and (d) computer-aided systems. Research supports assistive technology as an effective tool for providing antecedent prompts that can be self-operated by persons with intellectual disabilities. Implications of the research and suggestions for future research are discussed.