title: A basic technology-aided programme for leisure and communication of persons with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: performance and social rating.
abstract: This study assessed (a) the impact of a technology-aided programme on the leisure and communication engagement of persons with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and (b) the opinion of rehabilitation and care personnel regarding the programme.
  
  
  
  The programme's impact was assessed with four participants who were allowed to activate leisure and communication options through basic responses (e.g. knee, finger or lip movements) and microswitches. Forty-two care and health professionals rated the programme after watching video clips of persons with ALS (three of the four involved in this study and three involved in previous studies) during and outside of the programme.
  
  
  
  The programme was effective with all participants. Their mean percentages of session time with independently initiated leisure and communication engagements were zero during baseline and increased to between nearly 70 and 80 during the intervention. The care and health professionals rated the technology-aided programme as beneficial for the participants' positive engagement and social image, fairly practical for daily contexts and interesting from a personal standpoint.
  
  
  
  The programme might be viewed as a viable resource for persons with advanced ALS. Implications for Rehabilitation A programme characterised by versatility, simplicity and relatively low cost could be considered practically relevant for persons with ALS and their contexts. A programme that is effective in fostering participants' independent leisure and communication engagement and is positively rated by care and rehabilitation personnel is more likely to be accepted and used with consistency. Any programme directed at persons affected by ALS needs to be adapted to the persons' progressive deterioration, starting from the response and microswitch used for accessing the programme's options.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.affiliation: b Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University , Augusta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Nirbhay N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: c Department of Special Education, University of Texas , Austin , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.affiliation: d Department of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington , Wellington , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.affiliation: e Lega F. D'Oro Research Center , Osimo , Italy.
authors.forename: Fiora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: e Lega F. D'Oro Research Center , Osimo , Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferlisi
authors.affiliation: e Lega F. D'Oro Research Center , Osimo , Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.affiliation: e Lega F. D'Oro Research Center , Osimo , Italy.
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denitto
authors.affiliation: f Health and Care Agency (ASL) , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lauta
authors.affiliation: f Health and Care Agency (ASL) , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Crescenza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abbinante
authors.affiliation: f Health and Care Agency (ASL) , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Pesce
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003142:Communication; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009146:Music; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D058992:Social Participation; D013690:Television; D060145:Text Messaging; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; communication; leisure; microswitches; technology-aided programme