Promoting step responses of children with multiple disabilities through a walker device and microswitches with contingent stimuli.
Children with severe or profound intellectual and motor disabilities often present problems of balance and locomotion and spend much of their time sitting or lying, with negative consequences for their development and social image. This study provides a replication of recent (pilot) studies using a walker (support) device and microswitches with preferred stimuli to promote locomotion in two children with multiple disabilities. One child used an ABAB design; the other only an AB sequence. Both succeeded in increasing their frequencies of step responses during the B (intervention) phase(s). These findings support the positive evidence already available on the effectiveness of this intervention in motivating and promoting children's locomotion.
Lancioni
G E
GE
Department of Psychology, University of Bari, Via Quintino Sella 268, 70100 Bari, Italy. g.lancioni@psico.uniba.it
De Pace
C
C
Singh
N N
NN
O'Reilly
M F
MF
Sigafoos
J
J
Didden
R
R
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D009042:Motivation; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014853:Walkers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*