Experimental Examination and Social Validation of a Microswitch Intervention to Improve Choice-Making and Activity Engagement for Six Girls with Rett Syndrome.

: The use of assistive technology, specifically microswitches, with children with RTT has been shown to effectively moderate the impact of their disability on their quality of life by facilitating access to meaningful leisure and other activities. : This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a microswitch intervention on increased choice making, engagement in a targeted sorting activity, and indices of happiness, and decreased stereotypic behaviors for six girls with Rett syndrome. Targeted dependent variables were also assessed at six months post-intervention.

Case series of technology-aided interventions to support leisure and communication in extensive disabilities.

: This study assessed a new technology-aided program to support independent leisure and communication engagement with people with intellectual and motor or sensory-motor disabilities. : Six adults participated. The program relied on the use of a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 LTE tablet with Android 6.

A tablet-based program to enable people with intellectual and other disabilities to access leisure activities and video calls.

This study evaluated a tablet-based program to help eight participants with moderate intellectual disability, sensory and/or motor impairments, and lack of expressive or expressive and receptive verbal skills to select and access leisure activities and video calls independently. The program relied on the use of a tablet (i.e.

An Upgraded Smartphone-Based Program for Leisure and Communication of People With Intellectual and Other Disabilities.

People with intellectual disability and sensory or sensory-motor impairments may display serious problems in managing functional daily activities as well as leisure activities and communication with distant partners. The study assessed an upgraded smartphone-based program to foster independent leisure and communication activity of eight participants with mild to moderate intellectual disability, sensory or sensory-motor impairments, and limited speech skills. The upgraded program was based on the use of (a) a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone with Android 6.

Promoting physical activity in people with intellectual and multiple disabilities through a basic technology-aided program.

This study assessed a technology-aided program (monitoring responding, and ensuring preferred stimulation and encouragements) for promoting physical activity with 11 participants with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Each participant was provided with an exercise device (e.g.

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.

A Technology-Aided Program to Support Basic Occupational Engagement and Mobility in Persons with Multiple Disabilities.

Background: Persons with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities tend to be passive and sedentary. Promoting their occupational engagement and mobility (i.e.

Promoting Functional Activity Engagement in People with Multiple Disabilities through the Use of Microswitch-Aided Programs.

Background: People with severe/profound multiple (e.g., intellectual, motor, or sensory-motor) disabilities are frequently restricted to a situation of inactivity and dependence, which may be modified by promoting functional activity engagement through assistive technology.

A microswitch-based program for promoting initial ambulation responses: An evaluation with two girls with multiple disabilities.

We assessed the use of a microswitch-based program for promoting ambulation responses by two children with multiple disabilities. The goals of the study were to: (a) evaluate the importance of the contingency between the target behavior (forward step) and the programmed consequence (preferred stimuli), (b) measure effects of the intervention on indices of happiness, and (c) assess the social validation of the procedure using 20 physiotherapists as external raters. The intervention involved the automatic delivery of preferred stimuli contingent on forward steps.

Assistive technology to promote occupation and reduce mouthing by three boys with fragile X syndrome.

Objectives: To extend the use of assistive technology (AT) for promoting a new adaptive response and to reduce hand mouthing, by three boys with fragile X syndrome. To monitor the effects of the intervention program on the positive mood. To carry out a three month follow-up phases.

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.

Persons with multiple disabilities engage in stimulus choice and postural control with the support of a technology-aided program.

Technology-aided programs have been reported to help persons with disabilities develop adaptive responding and control problem behavior/posture. This study assessed one such program in which choice of stimulus events was used as adaptive responding for three adults with multiple disabilities. A computer system presented the participants stimulus samples.

Technological aids to support choice strategies by three girls with Rett syndrome.

This study was aimed at extending the use of assistive technology (i.e., photocells, interface and personal computer) to support choice strategies by three girls with Rett syndrome and severe to profound developmental disabilities.

Technological supports to promote choice opportunities by two children with fragile X syndrome and severe to profound developmental disabilities.

This study was aimed at assessing whether technological supports (i.e. optic sensors such as photocells) were successful enabling two boys with fragile X syndrome and severe to profound developmental disabilities to perform occupation and choice opportunities.

Assistive technology-based programs to promote communication and leisure activities by three children emerged from a minimal conscious state.

This study proposed the use of assistive technology (AT) to promote communication and leisure opportunities by three children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Furthermore, it assessed the effects of such technology on the indices of positive participation and provided a social validation procedure. Three children emerged from a minimal conscious state and presenting extensive motor disabilities were involved.

Microswitch-aided programs to support physical exercise or adequate ambulation in persons with multiple disabilities.

Three microswitch-aided programs were assessed in three single-case studies to enhance physical exercise or ambulation in participants with multiple disabilities. Study I was aimed at helping a woman who tended to have the head bending forward and the arms down to exercise a combination of appropriate head and arms movements. Study II was aimed at promoting ambulation continuity with a man who tended to have ambulation breaks.

People with multiple disabilities learn to engage in occupation and work activities with the support of technology-aided programs.

These two studies were aimed at assessing technology-aided programs to help persons with multiple disabilities engage in basic occupation or work activities. Specifically, Study I focused on teaching two participants (an adolescent and an adult) with low vision or total blindness, severe/profound intellectual disabilities, and minimal object interaction to engage in constructive object-manipulation responses. The technology monitored their responses and followed them with brief stimulation periods automatically.

Comparing two different orientation strategies for promoting indoor traveling in people with Alzheimer's disease.

The present study compared two different types of orientation strategies: an assistive technology program (AT, i.e., remotely controlled sound/light devices) and a backward chaining procedure (BC) for promoting indoor traveling in four persons with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Video prompting versus other instruction strategies for persons with Alzheimer's disease.

Background/aim: Two studies assessed the effectiveness of video prompting as a strategy to support persons with mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease in performing daily activities.

Methods: In study I, video prompting was compared to an existing strategy relying on verbal instructions. In study II, video prompting was compared to another existing strategy relying on static pictorial cues.

A computer-aided telephone system to enable five persons with Alzheimer's disease to make phone calls independently.

This study extended the assessment of a computer-aided telephone system to enable five patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to make phone calls independently. The patients were divided into two groups and exposed to intervention according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across groups. All patients started with baseline in which the technology was not available, and continued with intervention in which the technology was used.

Self-regulated music stimulation for persons with Alzheimer's disease: impact assessment and social validation.

Objective: To assess the impact and the social rating of an active music condition (in which 10 patients with Alzheimer's disease regulated their music input) vs. a passive music condition.

Method: In the active condition, the patients used a simple hand response and a microswitch to activate music stimulation periods.

Technology-based orientation programs to support indoor travel by persons with moderate Alzheimer's disease: impact assessment and social validation.

The present study (a) extended the assessment of an orientation program involving auditory cues (i.e., verbal messages automatically presented from the destinations) with five patients with Alzheimer's disease, (b) compared the effects of this program with those of a program with light cues (i.

Persons with Alzheimer's disease make phone calls independently using a computer-aided telephone system.

This study assessed whether four patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease could make independent phone calls via a computer-aided telephone system. The study was carried out according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across participants. All participants started with baseline during which the telephone system was not available, and continued with intervention in which such system was used.

Technology-aided pictorial cues to support the performance of daily activities by persons with moderate Alzheimer's disease.

We developed a technology-aided intervention strategy relying on pictorial cues alone or in combination with verbal instructions and assessed these two versions of the strategy with three persons with moderate Alzheimer's disease. In Section I of the study, the strategy version with pictorial cues plus verbal instructions was compared with an existing technology-based strategy with verbal instructions. Each strategy was used with one specific activity.

A man with severe Alzheimer's disease stops wandering during a picture colouring activity.

Objective: To assess the effects of a picture colouring activity on the wandering (and constructive engagement) of a man with severe Alzheimer's disease.

Method: The colouring activity was compared with a music listening condition and a baseline/control condition. A choice phase involving the colouring activity and the music condition was also implemented.