title: Teaching individuals with profound multiple disabilities to access preferred stimuli with multiple microswitches.
abstract: We replicated and extended previous research on microswitch facilitated choice making by individuals with profound multiple disabilities. Following an assessment of stimulus preferences, we taught 6 adults with profound multiple disabilities to emit 2 different responses to activate highly preferred stimuli. All participants learnt to activate both microswitches. Five participants showed a higher overall level of responding when both switches activating preferred stimuli were available concurrently. After completion of microswitch training, a choice assessment was conducted in which participants had access to 2 microswitches concurrently, with 1 connected to the most highly preferred stimulus and the other to a least preferred stimulus. Choice making behavior was shown in 3 participants and provided support for the preference assessment results. The results of the 3 remaining participants showed that both the most highly preferred and the least preferred stimuli may serve as reinforcers for microswitch activation responses.
authors.affiliation: The University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Gee May
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Oliver C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Mudford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D015588:Observer Variation; D057240:Patient Preference; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012112:Residential Facilities; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000534:rehabilitation