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Appendix A
ATOMS Project
Major Accomplishments Over the Life of the Grant

I. Scientific support for theory development

Ia.  Developed the IMPACT2 Model (Integrated Multi-Intervention Paradigm for Assessment and Application of Concurrent Treatments) and tested its conceptual underpinnings.  Early evidence shows the validity of IMPACT2 and how AT may vary with other concurrent interventions.

Smith, R. O. (2004, September 29). Selecting an outcomes measurement methodology that isolates AT from other interventions. Presented at A Roadmap for Assistive Technology to Improve Community Participation by People with Disabilities, St. Louis, MO.

Smith, R. O. (2002). Assistive technology outcome assessment prototype measuring "ingo" variables of "outcomes". Proceedings of the RESNA 25th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Fennema-Jansen, S. A., Smith, R. O., Edyburn, D. L., & Binion, M. (2005). Isolating the contribution of assistive technology to school progress. Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Johnson, R. J. (2006). The impact of assistive technology devices and services on DVR goal achievement. Unpublished Masters thesis, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Ib.  Developed the ATOMS Project cross-service model as logo and documented that AT outcomes are confounded by fragmented services across settings.  The logo portrays four ellipses with the person in the center, where each ellipse represents a different AT service delivery model: school system, vocational system, community living, and medical model.

Edyburn, D. L. (2004). Assisted learning: How assistive technologies developed for people with disabilities will affect learning for everyone. Threshold, 2(2). 22-25.

Johnson, R. J. (2006). The impact of assistive technology devices and services on DVR goal achievement. Unpublished Masters thesis, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Noll, A., Owens, L., Smith, R. O., & Schwanke, T. D. (2006). Survey of state vocational rehabilitation counselor roles and competencies in assistive technology. WORK: Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation. 27(4).

Noll, A. & Schwanke, T. D. (2006). Vocational rehabilitation counselors perception of role and competencies in assistive technology. Proceedings of the RESNA 29th International Conference on Thriving in Challenging Times: The Future of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology

Schwanke, T. D. & Smith, R. O. (2005). Assistive technology outcomes in work settings. WORK: Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 24(2), 195-204.

II.  Articulated needs and strategies for ATO in the schools

Edyburn, D.L. (2006). Failure is not an option: Collecting, reviewing, and acting on evidence for using technology to enhance academic performance. Learning and Leading With Technology, 34(1), 20-23.

Edyburn, D.L. (2006). Evaluating academic performance: With and without technology. MACUL Journal, 26(4), 26-27, 48.

Edyburn, D.L. (2006). What's new about assistive technology outcomes in education? Technology Special Interest Section Quarterly, 16(2), 1-4.

Edyburn, D.L., & Smith, R.O. (2004). Creating an assistive technology outcome measurement system: Validating the components. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 1(1). Electronic Journal.

Edyburn, D.L. (2004). Measuring assistive technology outcomes in reading. Journal of Special Education Technology,19(1), 60-64.

Edyburn, D.L. (2003). Measuring assistive technology outcomes in mathematics. Journal of Special Education Technology, 18(4), 76-79.

Edyburn, D.L. (2003). Measuring assistive technology outcomes in writing. Journal of Special Education Technology, 18(2), 60-64.

Edyburn, D.L. (2003). Measuring assistive technology outcomes: Key concepts. Journal of Special Education Technology, 18(1), 53-55. html

Denham, A., Bennett, D.E., Edyburn, D.L., Lahm, E.A., & Kleinert, H.L. (2001). Implementing technology to demonstrate higher levels of learning. In H.L. Kleinert & J.F. Kearns (Eds.), Alternative assessment: Measuring outcomes and supports for students with disabilities (pp. 148-154). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

III. Instrument development - Development of alternative methodologies for ATO collection in natural environments

IIIa.  Isolating the Impact of Interventions (I3) Instrumentation:  Demonstrated the ability of this methodology to document the subjective perspective of AT consumers regarding the relative impact of AT and other interventions.

Fennema-Jansen, S. A., Smith, R. O., Edyburn, D. L., & Binion, M. (2005). Isolating the contribution of assistive technology to school progress. Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Fennema-Jansen, S. A. (2005). An analysis of assistive technology outcomes in Ohio schools: Special education students' access to and participation in general education and isolating the contribution of assistive technology. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Fennema-Jansen, S. A. (2004). Technical report - The Assistive Technology Infusion Project (ATIP) database (1.0). Retrieved, from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/tr-atip.pdf.

Johnson, R. J. (2006). The impact of assistive technology devices and services on DVR goal achievement. Unpublished Masters thesis, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Olson, C. H. (2006). Taxonomy for classifying writing devices used by students with learning disabilities. Proceedings of the RESNA 29th International Conference on Thriving in Challenging Times: The Future of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology.

Olson, C. H. (2006). Impact of assistive technology devices and services for students with learning disabilities and an academic need in writing. Unpublished dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Lenker, J.  (manuscript in preparation, based on doctoral dissertation data)

IIIb.  SFA-AT: Demonstrated that the existing School Functional Assessment (SFA) instrument can be supplemented as the SFA-AT to specifically address AT planning and outcomes documentation in the school setting.

Silverman, M. K. & Smith, R. O. (2006). Consequential validity of an assistive technology supplement for the School Functional Assessment, Assistive Technology, 18(2), 155-165.

IIIc.  MED-AUDIT:  Demonstrated the usability of a task, device feature, impairment taxonomy to measure the accessibility of medical instrumentation.

Mendonca, R. & Smith, R. O. (2006). MED-AUDIT (Medical Equipment Device-Accessibility and Universal Design Information Tool): Usability analysis. Proceedings of the RESNA 29th International Conference on Thriving in Challenging Times: The Future of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology.

Lemke, M., Winter, M., Pizur-Barnekow, K., Mendonca, R., Schwanke, T. D., Winters, J., & Smith, R. O. (2005). RERC-AMI R3 resource document: MED-AUDIT Black Box System (BBS) taxonomy. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/rerc-ami/archive/bbstaxonomy.html.

Lemke, M., Winter, M., Pizur-Barnekow, K., Mendonca, R., Schwanke, T. D., Winters, J., & Smith, R. O. (2005). RERC-AMI R3 resource document: MED-AUDIT Expert User System (EUS) taxonomy. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/rerc-ami/archive/eustaxonomy.html.

Mendonca, R. (2005a). Assessing the usability and the reliability of MED-AUDIT. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Great Lakes Biomedical Conference, Biomedical Informatics: Applications, Achievements, and Frontiers: The Milwaukee Chapter of IEEE EMBS.

Mendonca, R. (2005b). Assessing the Usability of MED-AUDIT (Medical Equipment Device - Accessibility and Universal Design Information Tool). Unpublished master's thesis, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Mendonca, R. & Smith, R. O. (2006). MED-AUDIT (Medical Equipment Device-Accessibility and Universal Design Information Tool): Usability analysis. Proceedings of the RESNA 29th International Conference on Thriving in Challenging Times: The Future of Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology.

Pizur-Barnekow, K., Lemke, M. R., Smith, R. O., Winter, M., & Mendonca, R. (2005). Measuring accessibility and universal design of medical devices: The Medical Equipment Device Accessibility and Universal Design Information Tool (MED-AUDIT). Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Winter, M. & Lemke, M. (2005). RERC-AMI R3 resource document: MED-AUDIT impairment categories: Working towards mapping AMI usability. January 2005. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/rerc-ami/archive/impairments.html.

Smith, R. O., Barnekow, K., Lemke, M. R., Mendonca, R., Winter, M., Schwanke, T. D., & Winters, J. M. (2006). Development of the MED-AUDIT (Medical Equipment Device-Accessibility and Universal Design Tool). In J. M. Winters and M. F. Story (Eds.), Accessibility and Usability Considerations for Medical Instrumentation (pp. 343-359).

IIId.  TTSS & OT FACT methodology: Demonstrated the utility of this computerized methodology to efficiently collect data for all stakeholders in the ATO process.

Harris, F. & Sprigle, S. (2005). Cost analysis of an AT service delivery program. Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Johnson, M., Smith, R. O., Walton, T., Wisneski, K., & Rust, K. L. (2005). Clinical implications of learned non-use for robotic therapy environments. Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice, and Policy, Atlanta, GA.

Johnson, M. J., Wisneski, K., Hermsen, A., Smith, R. O., Walton, T., Hingtgen, B., et al. (2005). Kinematic implications of learned non-use for robotic therapy. Proceedings of the ICORR IEEE 9th International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics Frontiers of the Human-Machine Interface.

Smith, R. O. (2002). OT FACT: A multi-level performance-based software instrument with an assistive technology outcomes assessment protocol. Technology and Disability, 14(3), 133-139.

IV. Needs assessment discoveries

IVa.  Demonstrated that AT device "abandonment" results for a variety of reasons, and based on the literature, compiled a comprehensive list of positive, negative, and neutral factors contributing to AT discontinuance.

Lauer, A. (2004). Measuring positive and negative factors of device discontinuance. Unpublished master's thesis. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Lauer, A., Rust, K. L., & Smith, R. O. (2006). ATOMS Project technical report - Factors in assistive technology device abandonment: Replacing "abandonment" with "discontinuance". Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/tr-discontinuance.html.

IVb.  Identified the potential (and issues) around use of two national databases (NIHS-D & RSA-911) for ATO research.

Moser, C. S. (2004a). The 1994 and 1995 NHIS Phase II Disability Followback Survey-Child Questionnaire: A critical analysis of the data relating to AT and its implications for future AT survey research. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Moser, C. S. (2004b). Technical report - Database analysis: 1994 and 1995 NHIS Phase II Disability Followback Survey, Child Questionnaire (1.0). Retrieved, from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/tr-nhisd.pdf.

Schwanke, T. D. & Smith, R. O. (2004a). Introduction to assistive technology data in the RSA-911 case service report for application to assistive technology outcomes measurement. Proceedings of the RESNA 27th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Schwanke, T. D. & Smith, R. O. (2004b). Technical report - Vocational rehabilitation database analysis: RSA-911 case service report and database linking (1.0). University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Retrieved, from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/tr-rsa911.pdf.

IVc. Reviewed more than 50 AT assessment instruments and identified that most are inadequate as AT outcomes measures. Additionally, most instruments with documented reliability and validity tended to be useful for research instruments and are not practical for ATO data collection in natural service environments for ongoing ATO assessment.

Rust K. L., Blaser, R., Fonner, K., Smith, R. O., Brayton, A., & Januik, M. (2005a). ID-AT-Assessments (Informational Database of Assistive Technology Assessments). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/idata.

Rust K. L, Blaser, R., Fonner, K., Smith, R. O, Brayton, A. & Januik, M. (2005b). Technical Report - Assistive Technology Instrument Update and Review (Version 1.0). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-fs-ati.html.

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2004, June 18). AT assessments: A practical experience and implications on outcomes. A full day instructional course presented at the RESNA 27th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy, Orlando, FL.

IVd. Documented that existing rehabilitation and health functional assessment instruments do not adequately include AT devices and services as a primary or moderating variable.

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2005). Assistive technology in the measurement of rehabilitation and health outcomes: A review and analysis of instruments. The American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitiation, 84(10),780-793.

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2004). Technical report - The inclusion of assistive technology outcomes in current health and rehabilitation outcome measures (1.0). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-instruments.pdf.

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2004, May 22). Do functional assessments obtain good evidence when they ignore assistive technology? Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2003). Treatment of assistive technology interventions in health and rehabilitation outcome assessments. Proceedings of the RESNA 26th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

IVe.  Documented consumers' perspectives on AT outcomes demonstrating the practical perspectives of consumers and their difficulty conceptualizing the term "outcomes".

Taugher, M. P. (2004). Technical report - Focus groups on assistive technology use and outcomes: A consumer perspective (1.0). University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Retrieved, from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/tr-consumerfg.pdf.

Taugher, M. P. (2003). Available information and outcomes of assistive technology: A consumer perspective focus group. Proceedings of the RESNA 26th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

IVf.  Documented a broad stakeholder interest in AT outcomes including consumers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, AT device developers, researchers, and rehabilitation and school practioners.

Noll, A. (2005). Vocational rehabilitation counselors and assistive technology. Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2006). Perspectives of outcome data from assistive technology developers. Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits (electronic journal), 3(1), 34-52. Available online: https://web.archive.org/web/20070223092154/http://www.atia.org/(Archived Copy).

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2004). Technical report - Outcome measures used in AT research & development (1.0). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-atproddev.pdf.

Schwanke, T. D. (2003, January 15). Table topic luncheon on assistive technology outcomes measurement. Presented at the ATIA 2003 Conference and Exhibition, Orlando, FL.

Taugher, M. P. (2004). Technical report - Focus groups on assistive technology use and outcomes: A consumer perspective (1.0). University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Retrieved, from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/tr-consumerfg.pdf.

Wilson, S., Binion, M., Smith, R. O., Fennema-Jansen, S. A., & Edyburn, D. L. (2003). Launching a large scale assistive technology service delivery and outcome tracking system in the public schools. Proceedings of the RESNA 26th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Lenker, Taugher, Harris & Smith (manuscript in preparation)

IVh.  Demonstrated that the ICF has potential for ATO research, but with significant issues/challenges that need to be resolved before it can be used as an AT outcomes instrument.

Smith, R. O., Rust, K. L., Jansen, C., & Seitz, J., (2006). ATOMS Project technical report - The ICF in the context of assistive technology (AT) interventions and outcomes. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/icf.html.

Smith, R. O. & Rust, K. L. (2005, June 22). Matching assistive technology interventions to the ICF. Presented at the 11th Annual NACC Conference on ICF: Mapping the Clinical World to ICF, Rochester, MN.

Smith, R. O., Pizur-Barnekow, K., & Rust, K. L. (2005, June 22). Missing in action: Products and technology for medical services. Presented at the 11th Annual NACC Conference on ICF: Mapping the Clinical World to ICF, Rochester, MN.

IVi. Demonstrated that in spite of the popular belief that the measurement of client satisfaction with AT devices produces trustworthy outcome data, satisfaction is actually misleading.  We recommended new considerations of this construct.

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2004). Satisfaction with assistive technology: What are we measuring? Proceedings of the RESNA 27th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Rust & Smith (manuscript in preparation)

IVj.  Created a position paper on the use of N=1 research methods for ATO research from an internal summit of methodologists.

ATOMS Project (2006). ATOMS Project technical report - N=1 assistive technology (AT) outcomes summit - May 3, 2006. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/neq1summitreport.html

Rust, K. L. & Smith, R. O. (2005, June 23). Small N research designs to document your AT outcomes. Instructional course presented at the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy

IVk.  Developed and released a comprehensive database of models and taxonomies relating to AT.

Smith, R. O., Seitz, J., Jansen, C., & Rust, K. L. (2006). ATOMS Project technical report - Taxonomies and models relating to assistive technology. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-fs-taxonomiesmodels.html.

IVl. Developed the first comprehensive timeline tracking the history of the field of assistive technology outcomes.

Smith, R. O., Rust, K. L., Lauer, A., & Boodey, E. (2004). Technical report - History of assistive technology outcomes (1.0). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-fs-history.html.

IVm. Demonstrated that current ATO research approaches do not necessarily ensure that all devices used by a client are identified. It is evident from the literature that there is no standard method of attempting to determine or report the devices used.

Fennema-Jansen, S. A., Whyte, F., Smith, R. O., Brayton, A., & Jansen, C. (2006). ATOMS Project technical report - Methods to identify assistive technology device use. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-fs-methodsidentifyuse.html

Whyte, F. L., Smith, R. O., Fennema-Jansen, S. A., & Edyburn, D. L. (2003). Assistive Technology Device Use Inventory: The need and development of a conceptual model. Proceedings of the RESNA 26th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Whyte, F. (2002). Assistive Technology Device Use Inventory: The need and the development of a conceptual model. Unpublished Master's Thesis, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

IVn.  Identified a comprehensive overview of legal issues related to AT outcomes and measurement research.

Mendelsohn, S. B., Schwanke, T. D., & Smith, R. O. (2004). Overview of legal issues in assistive technology outcomes measurement. Proceedings of the RESNA 27th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Mendelsohn, S. B., Smith, R. O., & Schwanke, T. D. (2004). Technical report - Town hall meeting on legal issues involved in measuring assistive technology outcomes (1.0). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/archive/technicalreports/fieldscans/tr-th-legal.html.

Mendelsohn, Edyburn, Rust, Smith & Schwanke (invited manuscript in review). A critical analysis of legal and policy issues Associated with assistive technology outcomes and employment for Individuals with disabilities. Assistive Technology.

IVo.  Documented that despite its definition, AT can have negative consequences (Dissistive technology).

Brayton, A., Joerger, T., Rust, K., & Smith, R. O. (2005). The dissistive nature of multi-focal lenses: Mandate for investigation and future R&D. Proceedings of the RESNA 28th International Conference on Technology and Disability: Research, Design, Practice and Policy.

Brayton, A. (2005). The relationship between bifocal eyeglass use and risk factors for falling. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Joerger, T. F. (2003). Risk of falling: The relationship between assistive technology use and the quality and speed of gait. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Smith, R. O. & Rust, K. L. (2006, February 2). Warning: Bifocals may increase your risk of falling. Presented at the International Conference on Aging, Disability, and Independence (ICADI), St. Petersburg, FL.

IVp.  Evaluated and developed cost acquisition methodology for AT device and service in an inpatient setting.

Harris, F., & Sprigle, S. (2003). Cost analyses in assistive technology research. Assistive Technology, 15(1), 16-27.

V. Making resources available

Va.  Created dynamic graphing systems as tools for future researchers.  They provide live "demonstration windows" for viewing AT outcomes data for two of the largest databases that have AT outcomes available, the RSA-911 database and the OHIO ATIP database.

Schwanke, T. D., Smith, R. O., Brondino, M. J., Noll, A., & Edyburn, K. (2007). Dynamic Display of Rehabilitation Technology Data in the RSA-911 National Vocational Rehabilitation Database, from http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/rsa911/.

Ohio ATIP database (Macintosh version prototype done, Windows version in process)

Vb.  Created the Informational Database of Assistive Technology Assessments (ID-AT-Assessments) to provide a guide for practioners of AT in the selection of the best measures for their clinical situation.

Rust K. L., Blaser, R., Fonner, K., Smith, R. O., Brayton, A., & Januik, M. (2005). ID-AT-Assessments (Informational Database of Assistive Technology Assessments). Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/idata.

Vc. Created one of the world's largest accessible Web sites for dissemination of resources and research related to assistive technology outcomes.

http://www.atoms.uwm.edu