title: Two adults with multiple disabilities use a computer-aided telephone system to make phone calls independently.
abstract: This study extended the assessment of a newly developed computer-aided telephone system with two participants (adults) who presented with blindness or severe visual impairment and motor or motor and intellectual disabilities. For each participant, the study was carried out according to an ABAB design, in which the A represented baseline phases and the B represented intervention phases, during which the special telephone system was available. The system involved among others a net-book computer provided with specific software, a global system for mobile communication modem, and a microswitch. Both participants learned to use the system very rapidly and managed to make phone calls independently to a variety of partners such as family members, friends and staff personnel. The results were discussed in terms of the technology under investigation (its advantages, drawbacks, and need of improvement) and the social-communication impact it can make for persons with multiple disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Bari, Via Quintino Sella 268, 70100 Bari, Italy. g.lancioni@psico.uniba.it
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Nirbhay N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.forename: Doretta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008904:Miniaturization; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013689:Telephone / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000534:rehabilitation