Technology-Aided Programs for Persons with Severe/Profound and Multiple Disabilities: A Selective Review

Abstract

SummaryThis paper represents a brief, selective review of technology-aided programs for persons with severe/profound and multiple disabilities. Specifi cally, the paper provides detailed summaries of a number of illustrative studies conducted by these authors for the assessment of (a) microswitch-based programs aimed at promoting response engagement and control of environmental stimulation, (b) speech-generating devices and computer-aided programs directed at promoting communication and stimulus choice, (c) orientation technology solutions for promoting indoor travel, and (d) visual-and verbal-instruction technology for promoting performance of complex, multi-step tasks. The studies included in the review provide a specifi c picture of the technological instruments adopted within the programs, of the participants involved, and of the outcomes obtained. Questions of practical importance left unanswered by those studies and others in the fi eld are also discussed as possible targets of new research.

ICT Framework for Supporting Applied Behavior Analysis in the Social Inclusion of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

“…In the last decade, ABA experiments have increasingly involved persons with severe/profound multiple disabilities, and among the most commonly adopted ICTs, it is worth mentioning the following: microswitches, VOCAs, and microswitch clusters [ 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ].…”