Promoting independent task performance by persons with severe developmental disabilities through a new computer-aided system.

This study involved two experiments. In Experiment 1, a computer-aided system for promoting task performance by 6 persons with severe developmental disabilities was compared with a card system. The computer-aided system was portable and presented pictorial task instructions (one instruction per step) and prompts.

Review of strategies for treating sleep problems in persons with severe or profound mental retardation or multiple handicaps.

During the last 15 years, researchers have shown that a large percentage of persons with severe or profound mental retardation or multiple handicaps have serious sleep problems. These problems can cause emotional and physical burdens for caretakers, interfere with the persons' daily learning and occupational performance, and/or exacerbate deviant behaviors. Several studies have been conducted to assess behavioral and pharmacological strategies (e.

Evaluation of a computer-aided system providing pictorial task instructions and prompts to people with severe intellectual disability.

The present study extended the evaluation of a computer-aided system providing pictorial instructions and prompts to promote task performance in people with severe intellectual disability. Four people were presented with two sets of tasks. The participants used the computer-aided system for one set and a card (control) system for the other.

Two women with multiple disabilities sharing an acoustic orientation system and traveling together to indoor destinations.

This study assessed whether two women with total blindness and profound intellectual disability could share an acoustic orientation system and travel together simultaneously to common indoor destinations to perform occupational and vocational activities. The orientation system provided acoustic cues which indicated the direction to the destinations. Analysis of data indicated that the women were successful in sharing the system and could reach the destinations independently.

Task variation versus task repetition for people with profound developmental disabilities: an assessment of preferences.

An assessment of preferences between task variation and task repetition with four adults with profound developmental disabilities was implemented. After participants were exposed to both task variation and task repetition conditions, they were allowed to choose between them. Results showed that all participants had strong preferences; three preferred task variation and one task repetition.