Autism services
Assistive Technology Evaluations
Technology built around your child.
Communication, learning and independence
Technology to support participation and independence.
Assistive technology can help children overcome barriers, take part more fully in everyday activities, and become more independent at home, at school, and in the community.
TriPoint Autism & Literacy Education Services (TALES) provides individualized assistive technology evaluations to identify tools and strategies that support each child’s needs and goals. Evaluations consider the child, what they want or need to do, and where they will use the technology.
Where technology can help
How TALES can help.
Recommendations may include both low-tech and high-tech solutions and are based on your child’s strengths, needs, goals, and everyday environments.
Assistive technology for communication
TALES specializes in an area of assistive technology known as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This includes tools and strategies that provide additional ways to communicate, from simple picture supports to communication apps and speech-generating devices.
An assistive technology evaluation can help identify communication supports by exploring different options and determining which tools and features may be the best fit.
Additional assistive technology areas
Assistive technology can support much more than communication needs. Depending on your child’s needs, an evaluation may also explore technology to support:
Our philosophy
TALES is committed to evidence-based communication supports that promote authentic, independent communication. We believe communication should reflect the thoughts and choices of the person communicating. For this reason, TALES does not recommend or provide facilitator-dependent methods. These approaches are not supported by current scientific evidence and raise concerns about who is actually creating the message.
What to expect
Every evaluation is built around your child.
Every evaluation is different based on your child’s needs and the questions you would like help answering. The process may include:
When appropriate, TALES works with other professionals so that assistive technology recommendations fit with your child’s educational needs.
RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Professional
Assistive technology expertise.
Evaluations are provided by Joe Novak, EdD, BCBA-D, ATP. Joe is a certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). He has extensive experience evaluating, selecting, and using assistive technology in educational and community settings.
In addition to RESNA certification, Joe is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst who holds an educational doctorate in special education and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Joe has lectured throughout the United States on the topic of AAC and completed both his master’s thesis and his doctoral dissertation on AAC.
This broad experience helps him consider how technology can support communication, learning, participation, and independence across different parts of a child’s life.
Joe Novak
EdD, BCBA-D, ATP
Owner & Director
One of only 14 doctoral-level Board Certified Behaviour Analysts listed in British Columbia, with more than 20 years of experience in special education, autism services, and assistive technology.
Start with a free consultation.
Schedule a free initial consultation to tell us about your child and discuss your concerns and priorities. Together, we can determine whether an assistive technology evaluation may be helpful. We’ll explain our recommended approach and the cost before you decide whether to move forward.
