Assistive Technology (AT) can be used to help a person with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) including the following:
Medication reminder alert systems
Adapted eating utensils
Adapted self-care tools, i.e. brushes, nail clippers
Adapted television remote
Cooking aids
Visual and auditory timers
Task prompting applications
In order to determine what type of AT is most appropriate for one or more ADL’s, you could start by finding an Occupational Therapist or AT Specialist to help guide you and try out different items to see what works best.
Reaching out to the Maryland Technology Assistance Program to request a free consultation is a great option. MDTAP provides free consultations to Marylanders with disabilities and has an array of knowledge and technologies available to share. This is a consultative, informal process whereby you meet with one of MDTAP’s skilled AT specialists and they provide information, resources, informal recommendations, and access to devices available for loan during a trial period. You can even schedule a tour of their library of AT devices.
If you need a more formal assessment, you can get an AT Evaluation through a provider such as an Occupational Therapist or AT specialist. An evaluation is a more clinical approach, where the clinician chooses and tries out a few items with the person. The clinician then decides which item will work best based on a series of documented assessments of the person with the disability. They’ll consider functional limitations, environment, tasks to be completed and more. AT Evaluations are typically documented in a specific way and those formal evaluations can be used to leverage or access funding (such as Medicaid funding) for certain devices.
If medical insurance will not cover the cost of the AT devices or services that you need, you can request AT funding through DDA through the PCP process. DDA requires that any request for AT over $2,500 must be supported by recommendations in a formal “AT Needs” assessment.
Find an Occupational Therapist (OT) that is in your medical insurance network and ask them about AT recommendations and next steps.
Reach out to Maryland Technology Assistance Program to request a free AT consultation and/or try out devices through their device loan library.
AT Discount Sales & Services maintains a list of AT Specialists in Maryland. Find one near you and ask them about an assessment. These may not be covered by insurance.
Need funds to cover the assessment? Contact your local Center for Independent Living to see what resources they may have available.
Read about additional AT Funding Options in Maryland, here.
Talk to your CCS about requesting any needed AT devices and services through DDA.
Read about additional AT Funding Options in Maryland, here.
Reach out to AT Discount Sales & Services to see if you can get a discounted quote.
Check out The Assistive Technology Loan Program which helps Maryland residents with disabilities and their families qualify for low-interest loans to buy equipment that will help them live, work, and learn more independently.
See if you can find what you need through the Maryland Technology Assistance AT Reuse program.
Don’t forget to make a plan for setup and training on your new AT for you and your team.
If you are currently receiving DDA Waiver funding, you can ask DDA for funding for training on your new Assistive Technology as part of your service request through the Person Centered Planning process.
If you or the person you are seeking AT for is involved with DORS, try asking them for an AT assessment before going to DDA.