A simple smartphone-aided program to support meaningful occupation in people with severe neuro-motor and speech disabilities.

We assessed a simple smartphone-aided program to help three participants with severe neuro-motor and speech disabilities access preferred songs, call or send messages to distant partners, and call the caregiver. The program relied on the use of a smartphone, five cards with identification tags, and a mini speaker. The participants could select one of the cards (engagement options) by touching it with the smartphone.

Evaluating a Low-Cost Technology to Enable People with Intellectual Disability or Psychiatric Disorders to Initiate and Perform Functional Daily Activities.

People with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders and cognitive dysfunctions may need assistive technology to maintain and improve their levels of functioning and independence. This study assessed a smartphone-based system to remind the user to initiate functional daily activities (e.g.

Basic smartphone-aided communication and leisure for people with extensive neuro-motor impairment and absence of speech.

Background: Individuals with extensive neuro-motor impairment and lack of speech tend to remain passive and isolated, and to rely on others for communication and leisure. While their problems are known, only limited evidence is available about intervention tools that could help them curb those problems.

Objective: This study was aimed at upgrading and assessing a smartphone-based technology package, which was recently developed to help those individuals to independently engage in basic communication and leisure.

Smartphone technology for fostering goal-directed ambulation and object use in people with moderate Alzheimer's disease.

This study was aimed at assessing a smartphone-based intervention to help 11 individuals with moderate Alzheimer's disease and ambulation problems to manage goal-directed, walker-assisted ambulation and object use (i.e., to reach specific destinations and put away objects at those destinations independently).

Smartphone-Based Interventions to Foster Simple Activity and Personal Satisfaction in People With Advanced Alzheimer's Disease.

Objectives: This study assessed a smartphone-based program to promote practical and mildly demanding arm responses and personal satisfaction and increase physical exertion (heart rates) in people with advanced Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: The program relied on a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone with Android 6.0 operating system.

Technology-aided leisure and communication support in extensive neuro-motor and communication impairments.

Background: Individuals with extensive neuro-motor impairment and lack of speech are known to remain fairly isolated and rely on others. Yet, there is only limited evidence as to how one can help them to reach a level of independence in relevant areas such as leisure and communication. This study assessed a program based on everyday technology to support leisure and communication engagement in six of those individuals.

Technology-Based Behavioral Interventions for Daily Activities and Supported Ambulation in People With Alzheimer's Disease.

Objectives: These 2 studies evaluated technology-based behavioral interventions for promoting daily activities and supported ambulation in people with mild-to-moderate and moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease, respectively.

Methods: Study 1 included 8 participants who were taught to start and carry out daily activities on their own using a tablet or smartphone device, which provided activity reminders, step instructions, and praise. Study 2 included 9 participants who were taught to engage in brief periods of ambulation using a walker combined with a tilt microswitch and a notebook computer, which monitored step responses and provided stimulation and prompts.

Assistive technology for promoting adaptive skills of children with cerebral palsy: ten cases evaluation.

To extend the use of assistive technology for promoting adaptive skills of children with cerebral palsy. To assess its effects on positive participation of ten participants involved. To carry out a social validation recruiting parents, physiotherapists and support teachers as external raters.

Supporting Simple Activity Engagement in Persons With Moderate to Severe Alzheimer's Disease Through a Technology-Aided Program.

Objectives: These 2 studies assessed a technology-aided program to support mild physical exercise or simple occupational activity in participants with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Study 1 included 11 participants who were to perform a leg-raising response. Study 2 included 10 participants who were to sort objects into different containers.

Promoting supported ambulation in persons with advanced Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.

Purpose: This study assessed the effects of an intervention program, which combined the use of a walker with assistive technology, on the ambulation and indices of positive involvement of persons with advanced Alzheimer's disease. A social validation assessment of the program was also carried out.

Method: The study included 10 participants with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease and inability to walk independently.

Helping people in a minimally conscious state develop responding and stimulation control through a microswitch-aided program.

Background: Postcoma persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and with extensive motor impairment cannot independently access and control environmental stimulation.

Aim: Assessing the effects of a microswitch-aided program aimed at helping MCS persons develop responding and stimulation control and conducting a social validation/evaluation of the program.

Design: A single-subject ABAB design was used for each participant to determine the impact of the program on his or her responding.

Persons With Advanced Alzheimer's Disease Engage in Mild Leg Exercise Supported by Technology-Aided Stimulation and Prompts.

This study assessed whether nine persons with advanced Alzheimer's disease would learn to engage in leg responses (exercise) with the support of a technology-aided program, which provided (a) preferred stimulation contingent on the leg responses and (b) verbal reminders/prompts in case of no responding. The study was conducted according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across participants and involved sessions of 5 min. During the baseline, the participants' mean frequencies of leg responses ranged from zero to slightly above two per session.

Technology-Aided Programs to Support Positive Verbal and Physical Engagement in Persons with Moderate or Severe Alzheimer's Disease.

Pilot studies using technology-aided programs to promote verbal reminiscence and mild physical activity (i.e., positive forms of engagement) in persons with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease have provided promising results (Lancioni et al.

A basic technology-aided programme for leisure and communication of persons with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: performance and social rating.

Purpose: This study assessed (a) the impact of a technology-aided programme on the leisure and communication engagement of persons with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and (b) the opinion of rehabilitation and care personnel regarding the programme.

Method: The programme's impact was assessed with four participants who were allowed to activate leisure and communication options through basic responses (e.g.

Assistive technology to help persons in a minimally conscious state develop responding and stimulation control: Performance assessment and social rating.

Background: Post-coma persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS) and with extensive motor impairment and lack of speech tend to be passive and isolated.

Objective: This study aimed to (a) further assess a technology-aided approach for fostering MCS participants' responding and stimulation control and (b) carry out a social validation check about the approach.

Methods: Eight MCS participants were exposed to the aforementioned approach according to an ABAB design.

EXTENDING THE ASSESSMENT OF TECHNOLOGY-AIDED PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT LEISURE AND COMMUNICATION IN PEOPLE WITH ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY AND EXTENSIVE MULTIPLE DISABILITIES.

Intervention programs for people with acquired brain injury and extensive motor and communication impairment need to be diversified according to their characteristics and environment. These two studies assessed two technology-aided programs for supporting leisure (i.e.

Computer and microswitch-based programs to improve academic activities by six children with cerebral palsy.

This study was aimed at extending the use of assistive technology (i.e. microswitch such as a pressure sensor, interface and laptop) with a new setup, allowing six children with cerebral palsy and extensive motor disabilities to improve their academic activities during classroom.

Patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease engage in verbal reminiscence with the support of a computer-aided program: a pilot study.

This study focused on the assessment of a program recently developed for helping patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease engage in computer-mediated verbal reminiscence (Lancioni et al., 2014a). Sixteen participants were involved in the study.

Technology-aided leisure and communication: Opportunities for persons with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Objective: This study investigated whether simple technology-aided programs could be used to promote leisure and communication engagement in three persons with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Method: The programs included music and video options, which were combined with (a) text messaging and telephone calls for the first participant, (b) verbal statements/requests, text messaging, and reading for the second participant, and (c) verbal statements/requests and prayers for the third participant. The participants could activate those options via hand movement or vocal emission and specific microswitches.

Supporting self-managed leisure engagement and communication in post-coma persons with multiple disabilities.

Post-coma persons affected by extensive motor impairment and lack of speech, with or without disorders of consciousness, need special support to manage leisure engagement and communication. These two studies extended research efforts aimed at assessing basic technology-aided programs to provide such support. Specifically, Study I assessed a program for promoting independent stimulation choice in four post-coma persons who combined motor and speech disabilities with disorders of consciousness (i.

Technology-aided programs for post-coma patients emerged from or in a minimally conscious state.

Post-coma persons in a minimally conscious state (MCS) or emerged/emerging from such state (E-MCS), who are affected by extensive motor impairment and lack of speech, may develop an active role and interact with their environment with the help of technology-aided intervention programs. Although a number of studies have been conducted in this area during the last few years, new evidence about the efficacy of those programs is warranted. These three studies were an effort in that direction.

Persons with Alzheimer's disease engage in leisure and mild physical activity with the support of technology-aided programs.

Three studies were conducted to assess technology-aided programs to promote leisure engagement and mild physical activity in persons with Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, Study I assessed a program aimed at enabling three patients with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease to choose among different music options and activate the preferred ones. Studies II and III were directed at patients in the low moderate or severe stages of the Alzheimer's disease who were no longer capable of ambulating and spent their time generally inactive, sitting in their wheelchairs.

Post-coma persons with multiple disabilities use assistive technology for their leisure engagement and communication.

Background: Interventions for post-coma persons, who have emerged from a minimally conscious state but present with extensive neuro-motor impairment and lack of or minimal verbal skills, need to promote occupation and communication through the use of assistive technology.

Objective: These two studies were aimed at assessing two technology-aided programs to promote leisure engagement and communication for three post-coma participants with multiple disabilities.

Methods: Study I assessed a program to allow a woman and a man with extensive neuro-motor impairment and lack of speech to switch on music and videos, make requests to caregivers, and send messages to (communicate with) relevant partners and receive messages from those partners.

Occupation and communication programs for post-coma persons with or without consciousness disorders who show extensive motor impairment and lack of speech.

These two studies were aimed at extending the assessment of technology-aided programs for post-coma persons with extensive motor impairment and lack of speech. Specifically, Study I assessed a new program arrangement, in which stimulation access and caregiver attention could be obtained with variations of the same response (i.e.