Small Tech, Big Difference: Assistive Technology After Brain Injury and for Life!

In this episode, Sharon Leahy shares her extensive experience in neurorehabilitation, from her work in the National Rehabilitation Hospital to her current role with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland in the West of Ireland.We explore the lifelong impact of acquired brain injury in children and young people from the invisible cognitivechallenges and fatigue to the emotional adjustment experienced by families.Sharon speaks candidly about the need for community-based rehabilitation and the importance of supporting the whole family system following brain injury.A central theme of this conversation is assistive technology. Sharon demystifies what assistive technology really meanshighlighting simple, accessible tools like dictation, read-aloud features, calendar apps, and voice assistants, alongside higher-tech solutions such as environmental control systems and alternative access methods. She emphasises that technology doesn’t need to be futuristic or expensive to be powerful, sometimes the smallest adaptations can make the biggest difference.This episode is a practical and hopeful reminder that when we apply our OT lens creatively, assistive technology can enable participation, reduce cognitive fatigue, and support independence across school, work, and everyday life.