Input from family members is vital, and their expertise should be part of the process. A team approach is required to implement assistive technology, and should include all pertinent persons involved with the child. We all use a variety of methods to communicate. The technology should match their needs and the communication requirements of the environment. The authors stress that assistive technology, as a tool for including children, be used not primarily as a teaching tool but as a method to meaningfully include children with disabilities into natural routines.
Technology needs to be incorporated into naturally occurring activities in the child's environment.
It is critical that services, in the form of developing strategies, techniques and implementation plans, are valued - even more than the device or equipment itself. The importance of the technology becomes over-emphasized, perhaps due to the difficulty the team experiences in acquiring the needed assistive devices. It is also important to devise ways of keeping the equipment with the child as environments and positions change. The authors include a brief list of resources with address and telephone number and references. Permission is granted to copy and disseminate this information.