Three persons with multiple disabilities accessing environmental stimuli and asking for social contact through microswitch and VOCA technology.
BACKGROUND
Direct access to environmental stimuli and opportunity to ask for social contact/attention may be considered highly relevant objectives for persons with multiple disabilities. We assessed the possibility of enabling three of these persons (two children and one adolescent) to combine two microswitches (for accessing environmental stimuli) and a Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA), which allowed them to ask for caregiver's attention.


METHODS
Initially, the participants were required to use each of the two microswitches individually and then together. Thereafter, they were taught to use the VOCA. Eventually, the VOCA was available together with the microswitches, and the participants could use any of the three.


RESULTS
The results, which support preliminary data on this topic, showed that all participants (1) were able to operate the two microswitches as well as the VOCA; and (2) used all three of them consistently when they were simultaneously available.


CONCLUSIONS
Teaching persons with multiple disabilities to combine a VOCA with conventional microswitches may enrich their general input, emphasize their active social role and eventually enhance their social image.
Lancioni
G E
GE
Department of Psychology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. g.lancioni@psico.uniba.it
O'Reilly
M F
MF
Singh
N N
NN
Sigafoos
J
J
Oliva
D
D
Severini
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012919:Social Behavior