International Perspectives on Assistive Technologies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Findings from a Delphi Study

Paulina Tsvetkova (), Carla Sousa, Daniel Beiderbeck, Aneta M. Kochanowicz, Branislav Gerazov, May Agius, Tomasz Przybyła, Merita Hoxha and Alan H. Tkaczyk
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Paulina Tsvetkova: Institute of Robotics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Carla Sousa: Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies (CICANT), Lusófona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
Daniel Beiderbeck: WHU–Otto Beisheim School of Management, 40233 Düsseldorf, Germany
Aneta M. Kochanowicz: Faculty of Applied Sciences, WSB University, 41300 Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland
Branislav Gerazov: Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
May Agius: Department of Human Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, 2080 Msida, Malta
Tomasz Przybyła: Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Merita Hoxha: Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Elbasan, Aleksandër Xhuvani, 3001 Elbasan, Albania
Alan H. Tkaczyk: Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia

Disabilities, 2024, vol. 4, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Advancements in Assistive Technologies (ATs) have significantly improved the quality of life and autonomy for people with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals, enhancing education, social interaction, employment, and mental health. Nevertheless, several barriers still emerge in the daily implementation of such technologies, highlighting the need to explore them in depth. Using a two-round Delphi method, we conducted a research study with an expert panel of 284 participants from 31 European countries, collecting quantitative and qualitative data. We tested ten future-oriented projections and gathered insights on participants’ backgrounds and attitudes towards ATs for this demographic. To enhance representation, experts from academia, service providers, industry, and disability organizations, as well as individuals with disabilities and their families, were included. Although the findings show strong consensus among experts on the positive impact and desirability of ATs for promoting the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals, they also reveal differing perceptions across expert groups and identify two distinct future scenarios linked to different cultural, social, and economic hindrances. In this sense, our study provides diverse global perspectives, with the potential to help governing bodies understand the expectations, concerns, and needs related to ATs for often underrepresented groups–people with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals in this case.

Keywords: assistive technologies; autism; intellectual disabilities; social inclusion; Delphi study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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