Assistive Technology (AT)/uh-SIS-tiv tek-NAH-luh-jee/

Assistive Technology isn't about fixing people—it's about removing environmental barriers. The disability is often in the mismatch between your abilities and available tools, not in you.

AT categories:

• Low-tech: Sticky notes, colored folders, timers, earplugs, fidgets, picture cards
• Mid-tech: Digital timers, simple reminder apps, basic communication devices
• High-tech: Text-to-speech, speech-to-text, AAC apps, eye-gaze systems, smart assistants

What AT addresses:

• Executive function (remembering, planning, starting tasks)
• Sensory needs (reducing overload, increasing input)
• Communication (when speech is unreliable or exhausting)
• Focus and attention (blocking distractions, structuring time)
• Reading and writing (accessing and creating text differently)
• Organization (making invisible tasks visible)

The key insight: Most "productivity tools" are actually AT that's been normalized. Task managers, calendar apps, noise-canceling headphones—we all use assistive technology. Some brains just need more specialized versions.

Everyday Life Examples

The revelation: Marcus spent years thinking he was lazy because he couldn't remember tasks. Then someone suggested a visual task manager. Suddenly he completed projects, not because he got smarter, but because his working memory had external support.

School transformation: Emma's teachers said she "wasn't trying" in reading. Text-to-speech revealed she's brilliant at comprehension when she can access the content. The barrier wasn't her brain—it was the delivery method.

Workplace success: Dr. Lee uses speech-to-text for all writing because dysgraphia makes typing exhausting. Colleagues never know. Her productivity soared when she stopped fighting how her brain works.

Practical Strategies

Starting your AT journey:

• Identify specific barriers (not "I have ADHD" but "I forget tasks")
• Start free (phone's built-in features are powerful AT)
• Test systematically—give each tool 2-3 weeks
• Combine tools (timer + body double + task list = magic)
• Adjust as needs change

By category:

• Executive function: Visual schedules, timers, task managers, body doubling apps
• Sensory: Noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, fidgets, compression clothing
• Communication: AAC apps, text messaging, typing instead of speaking
• Focus: Website blockers, pomodoro timers, music/white noise
• Memory: Voice memos, camera for parking spot, calendar alerts

Making AT work:

• Allow adjustment time—new tools feel weird initially
• Customize everything (defaults rarely work perfectly)
• Have backups for critical AT
• Don't compare your toolbox to others'
• Update as technology improves

Quick Tips

• Today: Explore your phone's accessibility features
• This week: Identify one specific daily struggle and google "[struggle] assistive technology"
• This month: Test three free AT options
• Long-term: Build a personalized AT toolkit that grows with you

The neurodivergent community has transformed AT from "special education tools" to "everyone benefits from better design":

Curb cut effect: AT designed for specific needs helps everyone

• Captions help in noisy spaces, learning languages, watching with babies asleep
• Voice-to-text helps anyone driving, cooking, or tired
• Dark mode reduces everyone's eye strain
• Autocorrect assists all typers

Destigmatizing AT:

• Younger generations openly use fidgets, headphones, AAC devices
• Professionals share AT setups publicly
• "Productivity tools" are just normalized AT
• Gaming equipment (like adaptive controllers) mainstreams accessibility

Community wisdom: "If a tool helps you function, it's not cheating—it's smart adaptation."

Do / Don't

Do's

• View AT as tools for diversity, not deficits
• Start with free/low-cost options
• Let users choose their own AT
• Normalize AT use for everyone
• Budget for quality AT when needed

Don'ts

• Don't gatekeep AT behind formal diagnosis
• Don't assume AT means "giving up" on skills
• Don't force specific tools without user input
• Don't stigmatize visible AT
• Don't compare AT needs between people

For Families and Caregivers

Your family member using AT isn't taking the "easy way out"—they're using tools that let their abilities shine.

Supporting AT use:

• Learn their systems (become fluent in their tools)
• Keep backups of critical AT
• Don't remove AT as punishment (it's like removing glasses)
• Celebrate what AT enables, not the AT itself
• Document successful strategies for school/work

Remember: Would you feel guilty for using a calculator? That's AT for math. Same principle.

For Schools and Workplaces

Educators: AT isn't giving students unfair advantages—it's leveling the playing field

• Allow all students to use AT (not just diagnosed ones)
• Teach AT skills like digital citizenship
• Have AT "libraries" for testing tools
• Don't grade on the process, grade on the learning

Employers: AT increases productivity and retention

• Offer AT during onboarding proactively
• Budget specifically for AT accommodations
• Allow personalized workspaces
• Normalize everyone using different tools
• Celebrate AT as innovation, not deficit

Intersectionality & Variation

• Age: Kids need different AT than adults; needs evolve over lifespan
• Class: Expensive high-tech AT creates access barriers; prioritize free options
• Culture: Some cultures embrace visible tools, others stigmatize them
• Context: Different environments need different AT strategies
• Combined needs: Multiple neurodivergences may need combined AT approaches

Related Terms

• AAC - Specific AT for communication
• Accommodations - Broader category including AT and environmental changes
• Universal Design - Creating tools that work for everyone from the start
• Executive Dysfunction - Common reason for needing AT
• Sensory Processing Disorder - Often benefits from AT solutions