On September 2022, Soraia M. Alarcão, LASIGE Ph.D. collaborator, started her participation in two working packages for the a-STEP Cost Action and will contribute with her expertise in the design and development of assistive technology.

The aim of the COST action is to build an interdisciplinary, intersectoral pan EU and beyond (Albania, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Switzerland, Türkiye, among others), network which will enhance social inclusion and empowerment of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Intellectual Disability (ID). This will be achieved by:

• Evaluating the development of novel AT by providing an interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration between all stakeholders using a translational approach to establish standardised practice guidelines for design, development and deployment of Assistive Technology (AT)
• Creating knowledge, by providing a database of current AT technologies and their match to employment and educational contexts for users with ASD and/or ID.
• Promoting the adoption of evidence-based guidelines in relation to use of AT across settings and populations and propagating the use of inclusive design and rigorous research approaches.