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.
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. At the time at which an activity was due, the system provided the participant with a reminder followed by the verbal or pictorial instruction for the initial part of the first response (e.g., "Go to the bathroom and take the dirty towels"). The instruction would be available (repeated) until the participant responded to it and, in so doing, activated a sensor. Sensor activation caused the presentation of the instruction for the second part of the same (first) response (e.g., "Put the towels in the laundry machine"). The same process occurred for each of the responses involved in the activity. The system was introduced according to nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs across participants.
During baseline, the mean percentage of activities the participants started independently was below 7; the mean frequency of correct responses per activity was below 0.5 (out of a maximum possible of 8). During the intervention (i.e., with the support of the technology system), the mean percentage and mean frequency values increased to nearly 100 and 8, respectively.
The data suggest that the aforementioned technology system may enable people with intellectual disability and sensory impairment to start and carry out functional activities independent of staff.
This study used a video prompting intervention to overcome language barriers between English-speaking trainers and Spanish-speaking immigrant parents of children with autism. Parents were taught ...instructional skills targeting independent dressing. A multiple baseline design across three families and a replication using an alternating treatments design with a fourth family were used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. All mothers reached mastery criterion and generalization of instructional skills was observed for three mothers, with treatment gains maintaining during follow-up. Improvement in independent dressing skills was observed for four children. Findings suggest that video prompting can be used to teach immigrant parents of children with autism who have limited English proficiency when there is a language mismatch between parents and trainers.
Special education policies recognize the need for developing and preserving the heritage languages of individuals with disabilities. Yet there seems to be a disconnect between policy and practice. ...Should the heritage languages of bilingual individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders be incorporated into interventions? This review evaluated 18 studies that examined the effects of heritage language instruction on treatment outcomes for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Overall, results suggest a small effect favoring interventions delivered in the heritage language versus interventions delivered solely in the majority language. In general, studies were also found to be of high-quality according to What Works Clearinghouse Standards. Findings are discussed in terms of recommendations for future research and practice.
The practice of advising bilingual parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to speak in a single language, often the majority language of the region, with their child with ASD seems to ...be common. Such advice, however, is not grounded on empirical evidence but appears to be based more on logical arguments and assumptions. In this commentary, fears surrounding dual language exposure and empirical evidence supporting bilingualism in children with ASD are discussed. Suggestions for future research and three key steps that clinicians can consider taking to better address the needs of diverse learners are provided.
► Reviewed use of iPads® and related devices for teaching persons with developmental disabilities. ► Devices used to teach skills from five domains. ► Devices used to deliver prompts or access ...preferred stimuli. ► Results were largely positive. ► iPads® and related devices are viable for use in teaching this population.
We conducted a systematic review of studies that involved iPods®, iPads®, and related devices (e.g., iPhones®) in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. The search yielded 15 studies covering five domains: (a) academic, (b) communication, (c) employment, (d) leisure, and (e) transitioning across school settings. The 15 studies reported outcomes for 47 participants, who ranged from 4 to 27years of age and had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability. Most studies involved the use of iPods® or iPads® and aimed to either (a) deliver instructional prompts via the iPod Touch® or iPad®, or (b) teach the person to operate an iPod Touch® or iPad® to access preferred stimuli. The latter also included operating an iPod Touch® or an iPad® as a speech-generating device (SGD) to request preferred stimuli. The results of these 15 studies were largely positive, suggesting that iPods®, iPod Touch®, iPads®, and related devices are viable technological aids for individuals with developmental disabilities.
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. Across the 16 studies, intervention was provided to a total of 100 participants from 3 to 47 years of age. Half of the studies used systematic instruction to teach aided AAC. Other interventions and associated technologies included music therapy, eye tracking technology, and transcranial stimulation. Positive outcomes (e.g., using AAC devices to make requests and/or initiate social-communication interactions) were reported in 13 of the studies. These 16 new studies provide additional guidance on how to enhance the communicative functioning of people with Rett syndrome. Future research directions are highlighted.
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.
Ten participants were involved in the study. Each of them was exposed to an ABAB design, in which A represented baseline phases without the program and B intervention phases with the use of the program. The study assessed whether the participants (a) had significant increases of each of the two response movements available and/or showed response variability across sessions and over time and (b) had signs of satisfaction/happiness during the study sessions, in connection with their stimulation access and control.
The program was effective in increasing the participants' responding and consequently their self-regulated stimulation input. Half of the participants showed a significant increase of both responses available from the first intervention phase. Other participants seemed to focus more on one of the two responses. Even so, they tended to have occasionally high performance frequencies also with regard to their non-dominant (not significantly increased) response. Finally, all participants showed clear signs of satisfaction/happiness during the intervention sessions.
The program represents a potentially useful approach for enabling people with extensive multiple disabilities to self-regulate their access to preferred environmental stimulation and improve their mood.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) applications may differ in their use of display and design elements. Using a multielement design, this study compared mand acquisition in three ...preschool-aged males with autism spectrum disorder, across three different displays in two iPad
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AAC applications. Displays included a Widgit symbol button (GoTalk), a photographical hotspot (Scene and Heard), and a Widgit symbol button along with a photograph (Scene and Heard). Applications had additional design differences. Two participants showed more rapid and consistent acquisition with the photographical hotspot than with the symbol button format, but did not master the combined format. The third participant mastered all three conditions at comparable rates. Results suggest that AAC display and design elements may influence mand acquisition.
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). The intervention strategies considered were those not based on music or including music as a component of the intervention package.
Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist, a scoping review was carried out to identify and provide a synthesis of eligible studies published in English during the 2010-2021 period. Three databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were employed for the literature search.
Forty studies met the inclusion criteria. Those studies were grouped into three categories based on whether they assessed the effects of: (i) verbal stories/messages, (ii) multiple stimulation, and (iii) response-contingent stimulation. Then, a narrative synthesis of the studies of each of the three categories was provided to specify the types of patients involved, the intervention and assessment conditions implemented, and the outcome attained.
The evidence reported in most of the studies might be considered encouraging and convincing. Even so, it might be very difficult to view the evidence of the various studies cumulatively and make general/conclusive statements due to a number of differences in the intervention conditions applied.
Implications for rehabilitation
An informative picture of the studies using behavioral interventions with people with disorders of consciousness is essential to any professional working in the area.
Such picture can be highly useful in providing a view of the intervention strategies used for those people, of the variations existing within and across strategies, and of the evidence available.
An analysis of the strategies, their implementation and their effects may provide new insights for improving those strategies and eventually increasing their impact.
The individuals charged with the implementation process (e.g., family members or nurses) may have a relevant influence on the overall impact of the strategy.
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.
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 9.0 operating system, mini voice recording devices, and a Bluetooth speaker. The smartphone was provided with a Google account and Internet connection. The participants could activate the smartphone's Google Assistant and thus access leisure events, start telephone calls or send messages by triggering mini voice recording devices. Each device, when triggered, uttered a specific verbal request (i.e., a request for a leisure option or for a communication partner to call or to reach by messages). Messages received from those partners were read automatically by the smartphone.
During baseline (when the voice recording devices were not available), the participants did not manage to activate the smartphone's Google Assistant and thus did not access leisure events and did not make telephone calls or send messages independently. During the post-intervention phase (when the voice recording devices were available), all participants accessed leisure events and made telephone calls or sent and received messages independently, remaining positively engaged throughout the 10-min sessions. Staff rated the new technology system positively.
The new technology system may be a useful resource to help people like the participants of this study access basic leisure and communication independently.
Implications for rehabilitation
A technology system relying on commercial devices may be practical and acceptable in daily programs for persons with intellectual and other disabilities.
Such system may be used for supporting the persons' independent leisure engagement and communication with distant partners.
A system may be accessible to persons with significant disabilities if the responses needed to operate it are simple.
Simple hand-pressure responses may be sufficient to operate a system that relies on the input of mini voice recording devices
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