title: Evaluation of methods for teaching electronic visual scanning to children with cerebral palsy: two series of case studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of two instructional techniques in teaching electronic row-column scanning to children with cerebral palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two case series involving four participants each. Eight children, four boys and four girls (ages 3-13 years), were assigned to one of two intervention groups and completed three baseline and five intervention sessions. One intervention (n = 4) consisted of computer-based activities alone, while the other intervention (n = 4) consisted of a sequential approach starting with paper-based activities and then shifting to computer-based activities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants within both groups demonstrated varying degrees of skill mastery (80% accuracy or better) of linear and, for some, electronic row-column scanning within the training phases of the intervention sessions. However, there was no clinically important change in test scores between baseline and outcome measures for either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant challenges exist when studying the effectiveness of instructional techniques for teaching electronic row-column scanning to children with cerebral palsy. These case series provide information regarding the importance of selecting the most appropriate scanning technique to ensure reliable switch activation, carefully structuring the teaching environment to optimize learning, and being cognizant of the impact of fatigue and motivation on performance. [Box: see text].
authors: Therapy Department, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. kmarina@cw.bc.ca
authors: Kathie
authors: K
authors: Marina
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Drynan
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Tiessen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*