Features of employment-related technology for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a thematic analysis

Background: The aim of this study was to identify, extract, summarize and list the features of applied cognitive technology used to support employment-related outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Method: Thematic analysis was employed on a published research base of 41 studies obtained through a larger scoping review of the literature on the same topic. Results: The thematic analysis identified 109 technology features categorized into 14 main categories of features, which were grouped into three over-arching categories, Output, Input and General Features. The majority of the studies comprised "Output" features with "Audio" features being the most frequent category. Studies using more sophisticated technology incorporated a wider range of features and a larger number of references. Conclusions: Further investigation regarding the association of specific technology features with the enhancement of various cognitive functions will assist the decision making and technology selection process.