Background: People with severe or profound intellectual disability and visual impairment tend to have serious problems in orientation and mobility and need assistance for their indoor traveling. The use of technology solutions may be critically important to help them curb those problems and achieve a level of independence.
Objective: This study aimed to assess a new technology system to help people with severe to profound intellectual disability and blindness find room destinations during indoor traveling.
We extended the assessment of our recently developed technology to help people with neuromotor, intellectual, and speech disabilities access (listen to) music, communicate with distant partners, and answer questions. The technology included a tablet (1) fitted with an Internet connection, a SIM card, WhatsApp Messenger, and MacroDroid application, and (2) interfaced with different pairs of response sensors. Six participants were included in the study, which was carried out according to a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People with blindness and intellectual disability can have problems locating, identifying, and retrieving objects needed for daily activities (e.g., clothes and food items) from familiar storage contexts, such as cupboards and cabinets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People with intellectual and sensory or sensory-motor disabilities tend to have problems performing multistep tasks. To alleviate their problems, technological solutions have been developed that provide task-step instructions. Instructions are generally delivered at people's request (eg, as they touch an area of a computer or tablet screen) or automatically, at preset intervals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to help six participants with intellectual disability combined with sensory and motor impairments to make verbal requests through the use of a technology system involving cardboard chips and a smartphone.
Method: The participants were divided into two groups of three based on whether they did or did not have visual skills. Each group was exposed to the intervention with the technology system according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design.
Due to loss of spoken language and resulting complex communication needs, people with Rett syndrome are obvious candidates for communication intervention. To advance evidence-based practice and guide future research efforts, we identified and summarized 16 communication intervention studies published since a previous 2009 review on this topic. Studies were summarized in terms of (a) participants, (b) dependent variables related to communication, (c) intervention characteristics, (d) outcomes, and (e) certainty of evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study assessed whether a simple technology-aided program (i.e., a program involving the use of microswitches linked to a smartphone) could be set up to enable people with motor, sensory and intellectual disabilities to control preferred environmental stimulation through two different response movements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResponse-contingent stimulation is a behavioral strategy used to improve the situation of patients with disorders of consciousness. Such strategy involves the presentation of brief periods (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeople with mild to moderate intellectual or multiple disabilities may have serious difficulties in accessing leisure events, managing communication exchanges with distant partners, and performing functional daily activities. Recently, efforts were made to develop and assess technology-aided programs aimed at supporting people in all three areas (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhilos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci
October 2022
Over the past 50 years the Ogden model has been widely used in material modelling owing to its ability to match accurately the experimental data on elastomers at large strain, as well as its mathematical properties, such as polyconvexity. In this paper, these characteristics are exploited to formulate a finite-strain model that incorporates, through the phase-field approach recently proposed by Wu (Wu 2017 , 72-99) for small strains, a cohesive damage mechanism which leads to the progressive degradation of the material stiffness and to failure under tension. By properly tailoring the constitutive parameters, the model is capable of encompassing a wide range of effects, from brittle to pseudo-ductile failure modes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The study assessed a smartphone-based technology system, which was designed to enable six participants with intellectual disability and sensory impairment to start and carry out functional activities through the use of reminders and verbal or pictorial instructions.
Methods: The technology system involved a Samsung Galaxy A22 with Android 11 operating system and four Philips Hue indoor motion sensors. Three to five activities were scheduled per day.
Background: People with intellectual and multiple disabilities tend to engage in very low levels of physical activity.
Objective: This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive picture of intervention programs using stimulation-regulating technologies to promote forms of physical activity in people with intellectual and multiple disabilities.
Methods: Following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist, a scoping review was conducted to identify and provide a synthesis of eligible studies published in English between 2010 and 2021.
Background: Persons with severe or profound intellectual disability and visual impairment tend to be passive and sedentary, and technology-aided intervention may be required to improve their condition without excessive demands on staff time.
Objective: This study aims to extend the assessment of technology-aided interventions for supporting functional occupational engagement and mobility in 7 people with intellectual disability and visual impairment and to use a technology system that is simpler and less expensive than those previously used.
Methods: The technology system involved a Samsung Galaxy A10, 4 Philips Hue indoor motion sensors, and 4 mini speakers.
Purpose: This study assessed everyday technology to help eight participants with intellectual and sensory-motor disabilities access stimulation via functional arm/hand responses and improved body posture.
Methods: An ABABBBB design was used for each participant, with A representing baseline phases, B intervention phases in which arm/hand responses led to a 12-s stimulation, and B intervention phases in which the stimulation for arm/hand responses was conditional on an improved/correct torso and head posture. The technology involved a Samsung Galaxy A10 smartphone fitted with Google Assistant and MacroDroid, a mini voice-recording device, and a portable mini voice amplifier.
Purpose: This review was intended to provide an overall picture of work conducted during the last decade to assess the impact of behavioral intervention strategies on people with disorders of consciousness (i.e., comatose state, vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness, or minimally conscious state).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMusic stimulation is considered to be a valuable form of intervention for people with severe brain injuries and prolonged disorders of consciousness (i.e., unresponsive wakefulness/vegetative state or minimally conscious state).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be gratifying as well as stressful. Professional staff employed as caregivers often report compromised mental and physical wellbeing due to the stressful nature of working with clients who exhibit aggressive and destructive behaviors. Prolonged work-related stress results in diminished quality of life for the caregivers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This paper provides a review of studies that evaluated technology devices to sustain various forms of mobility in older people with cognitive impairment or dementia and mobility problems (e.g., inability to ambulate or difficulties to orient with consequent failures to reach relevant destinations).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study assessed a new technology system to help six participants with intellectual and visual disabilities manage leisure engagement and communication with distant partners in an independent manner.
Methods: A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effects of the new technology system. This included a Samsung Galaxy J4 Plus smartphone with Android 9.
Objectives: The present study evaluated a new smartphone-based program to help 12 participants with intellectual disability plus visual and motor impairments to self-regulate their stimulation input (thus avoiding their dependence on staff) through simple non-verbal responses.
Method: Nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs across participants were used to assess the effects of the program. The technology used for the program involved a Samsung J4 Plus smartphone with Android 9.