Technology Use and People with Mental Retardation

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a comprehensive examination of the use of technology by people with mental retardation with the intent to provide a framework within which to consider the benefits of technology use by this population. The chapter examines the potential benefit of technology use for people with mental retardation. Technology has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with mental retardation and their families. Indeed, a functional definition of mental retardation provides a compelling role for technology to mitigate the adverse impact of a person's cognitive impairments on school, work, and community functioning. The chapter aims to identify what is known about technology used by people with mental retardation, within a framework that emphasizes cognitive abilities that are important to all people and that must be considered when designing Technology. The chapter provides a limited exploration of user characteristics of people with mental retardation that influences technology use, and technology design features that can address those user characteristics. The chapter concludes with a comprehensive review on the literature pertaining to technology use by people with mental retardation.

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