After researching evidence-based studies on the positive impacts of assistive technology (AT) on young adults with developmental disabilities, Rene e conducted intake interviews at BraveHeart Center to understand more about needs and desires related to daily living and social skills for participants and their parents. Renee established a baseline with the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Then, youth were provided with customized assistive technology according to their personal needs to better assist them in reaching their individual goals. In an effort to provide the best possible service, visualized materials, such as slides, and a Q&A section were offered to participants’ parents/caregivers and BCPP staff. After running workshops on AT training to increase participantsʼ familiarity with the apps, the project was implemented for approximately three months where the young adults with developmental disabilities completed a water log and daily activities record every day at the center. Renee utilized validated surveys, project-specific surveys, and document collection from the apps to evaluate the outcome.

As a result of the program:

• 100% of participants have awareness of the importance of staying hydrated, while 73% of young adult participants increased their water intake
• 91% of participants have built a habit of recording their daily activities and moods
• 100 % of participants reported they want to keep tracking daily life and moods and to continue doing their water log
• 100 % of participants stated the customized AT made them feel happy and had made their lives better
• 91% of participants gave the feedback that the assistive technology helped them drink water more on their own
• 82 % of participants stated the apps made it easier for them to do things
• 73 % of participants used the apps every day at the center, while 18 % of participants used them two days a week

“I am very grateful to be a part of the partnership with BCPP and the Schweitzer Fellowship has been such a unique opportunity to not only learn from this service but also to enrich my professional development by observing work in other disciplines.”