Effects of Acculturation on Assistive Technology Service Delivery

This article offers a process for understanding the concept of acculturation within the context of assistive technology (AT) decision-making. Encouraging professionals to consider the influence from extent of acculturation on AT service delivery, the authors provide two types of information: academic discussions of topics such as the processes of assimilation, integration, separation, and/or marginalization, and personal stories from immigrant families and families within varying socioeconomic levels. Several different dimensions which may have a mediating influence on acculturation are integrated into the discussion of the necessity for more effective partnering with family members whose children have disabilities. Conclusions drawn should enable professionals to discover more appropriate solutions for and selection of AT devices from a broader culturally sensitive perspective.

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