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Assistive Technology for People with Severe/Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities

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Assistive Technologies for People with Diverse Abilities

Part of the book series: Autism and Child Psychopathology Series ((ACPS))

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of studies that focused on intervention programs and technological resources directed at enhancing the performance/achievement of persons with severe and profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. The general goals of the studies included in the review were promoting adaptive behavior and environmental stimulation control (and occasionally also reducing problem posture/behavior), communication, preliminary ambulation skills, indoor orientation and travel, and task engagement. The studies are divided in four groups (with possible subgroups) based on the technological resources they assessed. The main technological resources employed were: microswitches, speech-generating devices (SGDs), spatial orientation systems, and activity instruction systems. The final part of the chapter provides general considerations about the studies (technological resources) reviewed and their implications for daily programs and also suggests several issues for new research in the area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Via Quintino Sella 268, 70100, Bari, Italy

    Giulio E. Lancioni

  2. Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

  3. Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Mark F. O’Reilly

  4. Wellington Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

    Jeff Sigafoos

  5. Lega F. D’Oro Research Center, Osimo, Italy

    Doretta Oliva

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  1. Giulio E. Lancioni
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  2. Nirbhay N. Singh
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  3. Mark F. O’Reilly
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  4. Jeff Sigafoos
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  5. Doretta Oliva
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Correspondence to Giulio E. Lancioni .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Giulio E. Lancioni

  2. Dept. Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

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Lancioni, G.E., Singh, N.N., O’Reilly, M.F., Sigafoos, J., Oliva, D. (2014). Assistive Technology for People with Severe/Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities. In: Lancioni, G., Singh, N. (eds) Assistive Technologies for People with Diverse Abilities. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8029-8_10

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