Assistive Technology for Ages 3 and Up

As of May 2026, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has not yet released their directive guidance to regional centers regarding Assistive Technology. This information was adapted from Disability Rights California (DRC) publication #5579.01. It was last updated October 1, 2019. 

What is Assistive Technology?

The Lanterman Act is the California law that gives people with developmental disabilities the right to the services and supports they need to live a more independent and normal life. The Lanterman Act uses the term “special adaptive equipment” to describe assistive technology. Welf. & Inst. §4685(c)(1). The Lanterman Act does not give a complete list of the types of special adaptive equipment/assistive technology you can ask your regional center to provide, but it says that “special adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, communication devices, and other necessary appliances and supplies” must be available when necessary. Welf. & Inst. §4685(c)(1). The DDS website says, “Assistive Technology (AT) describes devices used by children and adults with developmental and other disabilities to participate in everyday life experiences.” DDS lists some types of AT and gives examples, including:

• Communication
• Mobility
• Audio-Visual
• Environmental Control
• Physical Adaptations.

As a person with a developmental disability, do I have a right to receive assistive technology?

Yes. As a regional center consumer, you have a right to get services and supports, such as assistive technology, in the “least restrictive environment”. Welf. & Inst. §4648(a)(1)-(2). That means that the regional center has to provide assistive technology wherever you live: in your own home, in a foster care home, in a health care facility, licensed community care facility, or a residential care facility. Welf. & Inst. §4648(a)(9)(A).

Regional centers must make sure you get the assistive technology that will help you meet your own individual needs. Welf. & Inst. §4648(a)(2).

How do I go about asking the regional center for assistive technology?

Your IPP should include all necessary assistive technology. A regional center will first ask you to exhaust any alternative resource such as Medi-Cal, California Children Services, a school district, or private health insurance before it considers providing the service and/or item. After your assistive technology is written into your IPP, the regional center may pay for your equipment, arrange acquisition, and train you on how to use and maintain your assistive technology device(s).