Ethical Use of Assistive Technology for Adolescents with Cognitive Disabilities: A Narrative Review

Adolescents with cognitive disabilities face unique developmental, social, and functional challenges that complicate their access to autonomy, education, and participation. Assistive technology (AT) has emerged as a powerful tool to support communication, learning, and daily functioning in this population. However, its deployment introduces complex ethical concerns. This narrative review critically examines the ethical considerations associated with AT use for adolescents with cognitive disabilities, focusing on five key themes: consent and decision-making, autonomy and independence, privacy and data protection, accessibility and usability, and equity in access and implementation.This review screened 50 documents, of which 20 were retained for full inclusion based on their relevance to ethical concerns in the use of assistive technology Key Themes in the Literature or adolescents with cognitive disabilities. Findings highlight the need for adolescent-centered approaches that respect evolving capacities, cultural contexts, and individual agency. Ethical AT implementation must move beyond procedural compliance to foster inclusive, responsive, and participatory practices. This review contributes a structured ethical framework specific to the use of assistive technology (AT) among adolescents with cognitive disabilities, an area that remains underexplored in current literature. While previous studies have discussed general ethical concerns related to AT or disability, few have integrated adolescent developmental theory, rights-based ethics, and practical considerations into a single, coherent review. By organizing ethical issues around five core themes consent and decision-making, autonomy, privacy, accessibility, and equity, this paper advances a more narrative review and adolescent-specific ethical lens for understanding AT implementation. It emphasizes adolescence as a unique developmental stage marked by emerging autonomy, evolving identity, and shifting capacities, all of which are critical to ethical decision-making but are often overlooked in existing research. The review concludes with recommendations for policy development, participatory research, and capacity-building among educators, developers, and caregivers. It calls for ethical reflection to be embedded not only in the design and deployment of AT, but also in training programs and institutional practices. As AT continues to evolve, ethical practices must evolve in tandem, ensuring that technological tools empower rather than marginalize adolescents with cognitive disabilities and that implementation is both developmentally appropriate and socially acceptable.