Use of advanced technologies in occupational therapy

Assistive technology, in a broad sense, is a technology that supports people with disabilities and is an important branch in occupational therapy (OT). With recent advances in technology, its scope has become even greater, ranging from cutting-edge technologies such as mobile technology and telerehabilitation (TR), healthcare and social robots, virtual reality (VR), augmented and mixed realities, artificial intelligence (AI), and ambient assistive technology with the use of the Internet of Things, to traditional assistive devices and orthotics used to help clients in their daily functioning, enhance their participation in self-care, work, and leisure activities, and facilitate or enhance their ability to carry out functional activities independently through mastery of the environment. This chapter describes various assistive technology models, with examples of both low and high technologies, as well as the clinical reasoning for using assistive technology in the context of OT. To help occupational therapists incorporate advanced technology into their future professional practice, this chapter introduces several cutting-edge technologies, including mobile technology and TR, AI, VR, and emerging neuromodulation, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging techniques, with examples from published research in the local context.