Microswitch programs for persons with multiple disabilities: an overview of the responses adopted for microswitch activation

Lancioni, Giulio E.; Singh, Nirbhay N.; O’Reilly, Mark F.; Oliva, Doretta

doi:10.1007/s10339-005-0003-0

Cited by 57 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…For example, research into switch-based training programmes has explored how the presentation of preferred stimuli can lead to the emergence of contingency awareness (Lancioni, Singh, O'Reilly, & Oliva, 2005), and the purpose of some behavioural interventions is to support the development of communication, such as indicating choice (Lancioni et al, 2007).…”

Section: Research In the Pmld Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Individualism to Co-construction and Back Again: Rethinking Research Methodology for Children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities

Simmons¹,

Watson²

2014

Child Care in Practice

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Children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) are said to experience severe congenital impairments to consciousness and cognition stemming from neurological damage. Such children are understood as operating at the pre-verbal stages of development, and research in the field typically draws conceptual resources from psychology to devise educational interventions and assessment tools. Criticism has been levelled at studies that treat children with PMLD as objects of research rather than subjects to be consulted. Proponents of the latter view have attempted to redress the situation by exploring how personal experiences can be gleaned through adapted qualitative methods. Debate about methodology in the PMLD field tends to coalesce around these individualist polemics: either children with PMLD are positioned as incompetent and lacking voice; or researchers are positioned as lacking the appropriate tools to gain access to such voice. This paper offers an alternative position to the individualism of post-positivist/constructivist approaches, identifying the need for a critical and participatory approach that sees knowledge about children with PMLD as situated and co-constructed through regular and longitudinal interaction between the researcher, children with PMLD, and significant others. Context to this argument is provided by exploring the application of this approach to an inclusive education research project for a child with PMLD.

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Section: Research In the Pmld Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Individualism to Co-construction and Back Again: Rethinking Research Methodology for Children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities

Simmons¹,

Watson²

2014

Child Care in Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In essence, a program matching those typically used for promoting constructive engagement through motivating (reinforcing) stimulation was here engineered to enhance the control of chin wetness by a person with multiple disabilities (Lancioni, Singh, O'Reilly, & Oliva, 2005). The person had no practicable responses in his repertoire to deal with such a problem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A man with multiple disabilities using a head‐turning response to reduce the effects of his drooling

Lancioni

Singh²,

O’Reilly

et al. 2008

Behavioral Interventions

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A man with multiple disabilities was taught to perform a head-turning response to activate optic sensors embedded in a small spongy structure at his shoulder and produce preferred stimuli. By touching the spongy structure with chin and mouth (i.e., to activate the sensors), the man would clean these areas thus curbing the effects of his drooling. Data showed that the man increased the frequency of his head-turning responses and reduced drooling effects (chin wetness) through the intervention and a 3-month follow-up. Forty university students, who were involved in a social validation assessment, indicated that the intervention was suitable and enjoyable to the man, had a social/educational function, and represented an approach that they supported.

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“…An alternative strategy, which has been applied in recent studies, involves the use of small, atypical responses, e.g., eyelid, forehead, and lip movements (cf. Lancioni, et al, 2005;. These types of responses in fact may be more plausible for the person to control and still amenable to microswitch or VOCA technology.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Feasible responses are not necessarily easy to find, however, when the person's motor condition presents with extensive paralysis or massive spasticity. One way to deal with these conditions is to select marginal and atypical expressions, such as eyelid, lip, and forehead movements, as responses that the person may more easily control (Lancioni, Singh, O'Reilly, & Oliva, 2005;. Another approach may be to identify variations within any conventional motor scheme that might still be available and use these variations as different responses (Lancioni, Olivetti Belardinelli, Stasolla, Singh, O'Reilly, Sigafoos, et al, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Helping a Man with Multiple Disabilities to Use Single vs Repeated Performance of Simple Motor Schemes as Different Responses

et al. 2010

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A man with multiple disabilities was taught to use single vs repeated performance of simple motor schemes as different responses. Specifically, single and double emissions of a finger movement served as two separate responses, which allowed direct access to different environmental stimuli via microswitch technology. Single and double emissions of a head movement served as two additional responses, which allowed interaction with two different caregivers who were called via voice output communication aids (VOCAs). The results showed that the man, who had pervasive motor impairment, acquired the four responses available and seemed to use them purposefully. The implications of this approach to increase the response options of persons with few controllable motor schemes were discussed.

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Microswitch programs for persons with multiple disabilities: an overview of the responses adopted for microswitch activation

Cited by 57 publications

References 84 publications

From Individualism to Co-construction and Back Again: Rethinking Research Methodology for Children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities

From Individualism to Co-construction and Back Again: Rethinking Research Methodology for Children with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities

A man with multiple disabilities using a head‐turning response to reduce the effects of his drooling

Helping a Man with Multiple Disabilities to Use Single vs Repeated Performance of Simple Motor Schemes as Different Responses

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