Technology-Aided Spatial Cues, Instructions, and Preferred Stimulation for Supporting People With Intellectual and Visual Disabilities in Their Occupational Engagement and Mobility: Usability Study

Abstract

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. Within each session, the participants were to collect 18 objects (ie, one at a time) from 3 different areas (stations) located within a large room, bring each of the objects to a central desk, and put away each of those objects there. For each object, the participants received verbal (spatial) cues for guiding them to the area where the object was to be collected, a verbal instruction (ie, request) to take an object, verbal (spatial) cues for guiding them to the central desk, a verbal instruction to put away the object collected, and praise and preferred stimulation. Results During baseline, the frequency of responses completed correctly (objects collected and put away independently) was 0 or near 0. During the intervention phase (ie, with the support of the technology setup), the frequency increased for all participants, reaching a mean of almost 18 (out of 18 response opportunities) for 6 participants and about 13 for the remaining participant. The mean session duration ranged from 12 to 30 minutes. Conclusions A program, such as the one used in this study, can be useful in promoting occupational engagement and mobility in persons with intellectual disability and visual impairment.

Fostering Functional Occupation and Mobility in People with Intellectual Disability and Visual Impairment Through Technology-Aided Support

“…The data indicate that all participants were successful in using the technology system employed during the intervention. These data support previous findings in the area suggesting that technology-aided programs can be effectively used for promoting functional activity engagement and mobility with participants with intellectual disability and visual impairment (Lancioni et al, 2019(Lancioni et al, , 2021bLancioni, Singh, et al, 2017). The same data add to previous evidence in that the technology system used in this study was relatively simple compared to those used before while supporting activities that required differential use of objects (i.e., the two sets of objects available in each session were to be transported to different destinations rather than to a same destination).…”

“…The calls were apparently instrumental in helping the participants orient successfully and find the containers and destinations and may also have served to prompt/encourage their performance engagement (Lancioni et al, 2019;. The instructions may have been essential to ensure that the participants were always aware of what to do with the objects (Lancioni et al, 2021b;Lancioni, Singh, et al, 2017). Praise and the preferred stimulation events available for the activity responses may have fostered the participants' motivation to carry out those responses throughout the sessions and possibly their satisfaction with the sessions (Catania, 2013;Kazdin, 2012).…”

“…Fourth, the technology system used in this study (a) represents a relatively simple and practical tool compared to the systems used by Lancioni, Singh, et al (2017), Lancioni et al (2019), which were specifically built for the purpose of the study or included clusters of smartphones, sensors, mini speakers, and light sources, and (b) has the advantage of supporting differential use of objects compared to that used by Lancioni et al (2021b). The cost of the present technology system may be estimated at about US $650 (i.e., approximately US $175 for the Samsung smartphone, US $250 for the five Philips Hue sensors, US $75 for the three mini speakers, and US $150 for the Philips Hue Bridge, the Philips Hue smart bulb, and the 4G Long-Term Evolution Wi-Fi router).…”

“…The process continued as just described throughout the session. Lancioni et al (2021b) developed a program involving the use of a smartphone with special applications and indoor motion sensors and mini speakers to help participants collect objects from different areas and bring them to a storage desk. The smartphone was linked to the sensors and speakers available at the areas where the participant was to collect the objects and at the storage desk where the objects were to be put away.…”

CONTACTO: A Social Networking Site for Supported-Employment Interventions for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

“…The success of the proposed tool is evaluated in terms of usability, likability and potential for adoption. Similarly, the work in [44] assesses technology-aided interventions in terms of its usability level. Similarly to what it is being done in the state of the art, the success of the intervention to improve self-management skills is going to be measured in terms of the tool usability and motivation to use the tool.…”