Citation

Lancioni GE, Singh NN, O'Reilly MF, Sigafoos J, Buonocunto F, D'amico F, Quaranta S, Navarro J, Lanzilotti C, Colonna F. Percept. Mot. Skills 2015; 121(2): 621-634.

Affiliation

Frangi-Segesta Rehabilitation Center, Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.2466/15.PMS.121c19x1

PMID

26445152

Abstract

-Intervention programs for people with acquired brain injury and extensive motor and communication impairment need to be diversified according to their characteristics and environment. These two studies assessed two technology-aided programs for supporting leisure (i.e., access to songs and videos) and communication (i.e., expressing needs and feelings and making requests) in six of those people. The three people participating in Study 1 did not possess speech but were able to understand spoken and written sentences. Their program presented leisure and communication options through written phrases appearing on the computer screen. The three people participating in Study 2 did not possess any speech and were unable to understand spoken or written language. Their program presented leisure and communication options through pictorial images. All participants relied on a simple microswitch response to enter the options and activate songs, videos, and communication messages. The data showed that the participants of both studies learned to use the program available to them and to engage in leisure and communication independently. The importance of using programs adapted to the participants and their environment was discussed.

Language: en