The Readiness to Learn Ladder in Assistive Technology Intervention

Effective assistive technology (AT) intervention is not just about selecting the right tool, but about ensuring the learner is ready to use it. The concept of Readiness to Learn (RTL) provides a simple but powerful lens: before introducing new tools or strategies, we must ensure the learner’s body, mind, and environment are in a state where learning is possible.

Drawing on models like HAAT, SETT, and the Participation Model, we can frame RTL as a ladder of precursors:

The RTL Ladder

1. Seating and Environment – Physiological Readiness
A learner cannot regulate, focus, or engage if they are physically uncomfortable, poorly positioned, or distracted by environmental stressors. Posture, sensory comfort, and the learning space form the base of the ladder.

2. Access Methods – Motor Readiness
Before learners can use technology meaningfully, they need reliable access. Switches, eye gaze, touch, or alternative input methods must be consistent, comfortable, and sustainable. Without motor readiness, frustration escalates and engagement collapses.

3. Navigation – Cognitive Readiness
Once the learner can physically interact with the system, they must be able to navigate it. Interface design, cognitive load, and attention span become critical. If navigation is confusing, readiness is lost, regardless of access quality.

4. Application – Functional Readiness
Only when the earlier rungs are secure can the learner focus on real-world outcomes: communicating with peers, participating in class, expressing identity, or managing daily tasks. This is the point where AT fulfils its promise.

Linking RTL to Quality of Life

Each rung of the ladder corresponds to a domain often captured in quality-of-life (QoL) assessments:

• Seating/environment → physical health and comfort
• Access methods → independence and daily functioning
• Navigation → autonomy and frustration levels
• Application → social participation and achievement

QoL questions therefore serve as indirect indicators of regulation and readiness. For example:

• “Do you often feel uncomfortable in your chair/space?” → flags physiological readiness.
• “Do you get frustrated trying to find what you need on devices?” → flags cognitive readiness.
• “Do you feel able to join in conversations or learning with your device?” → flags functional readiness.

This dual lens (RTL ladder + QoL screener) ensures interventions are grounded both in technical access and lived experience.

Why It Matters

Skipping early stages of the ladder—like jumping straight to apps and vocabulary before addressing seating or access—sets learners up for failure. By contrast, climbing the RTL ladder step by step ensures each level of readiness is secured before moving on. The result is not only more effective AT use, but improvements that resonate in everyday quality of life.

Takeaway: In AT, intervention should climb the RTL ladder: body → access → mind → participation. Each rung builds readiness, and QoL insights help us know where to begin.