title: Technology-assisted programmes to promote leisure engagement in persons with acquired brain injury and profound multiple disabilities: two case studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE. To evaluate technology-assisted programmes for enabling a woman and a man with brain injury and profound multiple disabilities to acquire leisure engagement. METHOD. The technology for the woman (Study I) involved a portable computer with mouse, a Clicker 4 software package, a touch/pressure microswitch, and an interface to connect the Clicker with the microswitch. This technology allowed the woman to choose with a simple hand response among four stimulus categories (e.g., watching a film and interacting with others), each of which included several alternatives. The technology for the man (Study II) involved a computer-based choice system that allowed him to select preferred songs through a microswitch-aided finger-movement response. RESULTS. Data showed that the two participants learned to use the technology available and selected among the stimulus events thus reaching positive leisure engagement. CONCLUSION. Technology-assisted programmes may provide persons with acquired brain injury and multiple disabilities leisure engagement opportunities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Nirbhay N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'reilly
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Pace
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiapparino
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Luigi M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Addante
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spica
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016287:Computer Peripherals; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000534:rehabilitation; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D014584:User-Computer Interface