technology in the home

Jordyn Zimmerman recently graduated with her bachelors degree in education policy from Ohio University. Diagnosed as autistic, Jordyn did not have access to a communication system until 2014, at the age of 18 years old. She writes for Learning Disability Today about how the world can be made more inclusive of autistic people who use alternative and augmentative communication (AAC).

Chancellor Sajid Javid's Spending Review promised to inject £1 billion into social care. Billy Davis, Hft’s Public Affairs and Policy Manager, tells LDT why the sector needs to "save itself". 

A group of Loughborough University academics have been awarded funding to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as the Amazon Echo, help people with disabilities live independently and explore how they may shape the future of social care.

Trials are underway for a wristband that monitors physiological changes that may precede aggression. Darren Devine discusses how such technology could change the lives of autistic people, their families, and their carers.

Grainne Eloi, Interim Head of Mental Health Services at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, discusses how new technology reduces unnecessarily long hospital stays.

This report, from the Social Care Institute for Excellence, explores the complex ethical issues surrounding the commissioning and provision of telecare and the difficult decisions that professionals may face. [21-Jun-2010]

As tablet computers grow in popularity and use, people with learning disabilities are increasingly experiencing the benefits that they can bring. Dot Reeves investigates

A groundbreaking headset designed to improve speech and auditory processing, has received the best ICT Special Educational Needs Solution at the world’s leading showcase of education technology solutions, the BETT Show.

People with learning disabilities and autism are being supported to live more independently thanks to a new technology partnership.

This case study describes the use of Talking Mats at Stenhouse Child and Family Centre (Edinburgh City Council) with very young, vulnerable children and their parents. [29-Sep-2011]

KEY Community Supports operates throughout Scotland to provide support for people with disabilities. KEY had approached IRISS for suggestions about how they might deliver training and advice to its support workers at the point where support is delivered.
Building on an idea from SSSC to use the video capabilities of the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) to take learning and knowledge as close as possible to the point of implementation, researchers set out to test it.

A short film produced by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. This film shows how services and outcomes can be improved for people with challenging behaviour and learning disabilities. This can be done through more informed working practices.

This special report takes a practice-focussed approach to assistive technology and discusses the evidence - and the challenges - emerging from a series of evaluations that have attempted to identify, and quantify, the results of real, local investment in telecare services.

This guidance is designed to support organisations currently delivering peer support or planning to develop peer support for people with long term conditions. It brings together good practice and guidance, based on research evidence as well as the experiences of experts in delivering peer support and those who have received peer support. This guidance is intended to provide a brief and concise starting point, to be accessible to a wide audience and is applicable across all long term conditions. Throughout this document links to further detailed guidance and sources of support are provided.

Disability charity United Response has published a special edition of its accessible news magazine Easy News summarising the results of the Scottish Referendum.