Page 103 - Handbook of Electronic Assistive Technology

90 HANDBOOK OF ELECTRONIC ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Classification System level 4 or 5) might need to go about daily life. The first col-
umn lists the equipment they might use. The second column lists the likely services
in England the client may need to encounter to obtain that equipment and contact
regarding maintenance and support. This leads us to understand the significant time
that use of this equipment takes in daily life for families or individuals, given that
attendance might be required on an annual basis by each service to review or under-
take maintenance. This is aside from any medical review appointments which might
also be routinely required for an individual.
It is therefore important to understand that our clients have been through many assess-
ments and on many occasions they meet a new set of faces and may be expected to answer
the same questions. So, it is good practice to make clear why you might need to review the
basics with them and the impact on the assessment and that wherever possible informa-
tion is gathered ahead of a meeting.
The entire process should be driven by the user at the centre as the person’s needs will
dictate the range of professions required to get the ‘prescription’ correct and so minimise
the possibility of abandonment of equipment. Other significant parties will be the family
and care support system around that individual. These are the key players.

Referral Forms

Each type of EAT will require a different focus on certain aspects of the assessment process
so the right device can be provided. Alongside the device will be the package of support
that is required because for many, if not all, additional support is necessary from regular
maintenance plans through to full training and development packages.
Key information is often gathered within a referral form and this varies greatly from ser-
vice to service. It should be noted that these forms are often aimed at professionals rather
than clients or their families. Cook and Miller Polger (2007) include samples of referral
forms for services, and referral forms for some services can also be viewed on their web-
sites. A range of personal information is required in line with local/national information
governance requirements to ensure eligibility for the service.
The areas of interest in terms of abilities, skills and environmental/contextual fac-
tors will be dependent on what EAT you are considering. For example, understanding
what the home environment physically looks like will be of more concern when consid-
ering powered mobility than if you were offering equipment for alternative computer
access. Table 4-2 presents some key information that is requested initially when assess-
ing for AT.
Referral forms often include questions such as ‘reason for referral’. This helps to deter-
mine if the appropriate service has been approached. It can also lead the person triaging
referrals to have further conversations with the referrer to advise on options which might
be trialled before assessment in the service.