Rehabilitation Engineering, Science and Technology 119.1 Rehabilitation Concepts 119.2 Engineering Concepts in Sensory Rehabilitation 119.3 Engineering Concepts in Motor Rehabilitation Charles J. Robinson 119.4 Engineering Concepts in Communications Disorders Louisiana tech university 119.5 Appropriate Technology Overton Brooks VA Medical Center 119.6 The Future of Engineering in Rehabilitation Rehabilitation engineering requires a multidisciplinary effort. To put rehabilitation engineering into its proper context, we need to review some of the other disciplines with which rehabilitation engineers must be familiar. Robinson [1993] has reviewed or put forth the following working definitions and discussions ehabilitation: The(Re)integration of an individual with a disability into society. This can be done either by enhancing existing capabilities or by providing alternative means to perform various functions or Rehabilitation engineering: The application of science and technology to ameliorate the handicaps of indi- als with disabilities [Reswick, 1982]. In actual practice, many individuals who say that they practice rehabilitation engineering are not engineers by training. While this leads to controversies from practi- tioners with traditional engineering degrees, it also has the de facto benefit of greatly widening the scope of what is encompassed by the term"rehabilitation engineering Rehabilitation medicine: A clinical practice that focuses on the physical aspects of functional recovery, but that also considers medical, neurological and psychological factors. Physical therapy, occupational ther apy, and rehabilitation counseling are professions in their own right On the sensory-motor side, other medical and therapeutical specialties practice rehabilitation in vision, audition, and speech Rehabilitation technology (or Assistive technology): Narrowly defined, the selection, design, or manufactur of augmentative or assistive devices that are appropriate for the individual with a disability. Such devices are selected based on the specific disability, the function to be augmented or restored, the user's wishes the clinicians preferences, cost, and the environment in which the device will be used. Rehabilitation science: The development of a body of knowledge, gleaned from rigorous basic and clinical research, that describes how a disability alters specific physiological functions or anatomical structures, and that details the underlying principles by which residual function or capacity can be measured and used to restore function of individuals with disabilities c 2000 by CRC Press LLC© 2000 by CRC Press LLC 119 Rehabilitation Engineering, Science, and Technology 119.1 Rehabilitation Concepts 119.2 Engineering Concepts in Sensory Rehabilitation 119.3 Engineering Concepts in Motor Rehabilitation 119.4 Engineering Concepts in Communications Disorders 119.5 Appropriate Technology 119.6 The Future of Engineering in Rehabilitation Rehabilitation engineering requires a multidisciplinary effort. To put rehabilitation engineering into its proper context, we need to review some of the other disciplines with which rehabilitation engineers must be familiar. Robinson [1993] has reviewed or put forth the following working definitions and discussions. Rehabilitation: The (Re)integration of an individual with a disability into society. This can be done either by enhancing existing capabilities or by providing alternative means to perform various functions or to substitute for specific sensations. Rehabilitation engineering: The application of science and technology to ameliorate the handicaps of indi￾viduals with disabilities [Reswick, 1982]. In actual practice, many individuals who say that they practice rehabilitation engineering are not engineers by training. While this leads to controversies from practi￾tioners with traditional engineering degrees, it also has the de facto benefit of greatly widening the scope of what is encompassed by the term “rehabilitation engineering.” Rehabilitation medicine: A clinical practice that focuses on the physical aspects of functional recovery, but that also considers medical, neurological and psychological factors. Physical therapy, occupational ther￾apy, and rehabilitation counseling are professions in their own right. On the sensory-motor side, other medical and therapeutical specialties practice rehabilitation in vision, audition, and speech. Rehabilitation technology (or Assistive technology): Narrowly defined, the selection, design, or manufacture of augmentative or assistive devices that are appropriate for the individual with a disability. Such devices are selected based on the specific disability, the function to be augmented or restored, the user’s wishes, the clinician’s preferences, cost, and the environment in which the device will be used. Rehabilitation science: The development of a body of knowledge, gleaned from rigorous basic and clinical research, that describes how a disability alters specific physiological functions or anatomical structures, and that details the underlying principles by which residual function or capacity can be measured and used to restore function of individuals with disabilities. Charles J. Robinson Louisiana Tech University Overton Brooks VA Medical Center