Assistive Technologies for People with Diverse Abilities

341 Pages·2014·3.19 MB·English

by  Giulio E. Lancioni

Autism and Child Psychopathology Series
Series Editor: Johnny L. Matson
Giulio E. Lancioni
Nirbhay N. Singh
Editors
Assistive
Technologies
for People with
Diverse Abilities
Autism and Child Psychopathology Series
Series Editor
Johnny L. Matson
Department of Psychology
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA
USA
For furthervolumes:
http://www.springer.com/series/8665
Giulio E. Lancioni Nirbhay N. Singh
•
Editors
Assistive Technologies
for People with Diverse
Abilities
123
Editors
Giulio E.Lancioni Nirbhay N.Singh
Department of Neuroscienceand Sense Department of Psychiatryand Health
Organs Behavior
Universityof Bari GeorgiaRegents University
Bari Augusta,GA
Italy USA
ISSN 2192-922X ISSN 2192-9238 (electronic)
ISBN 978-1-4899-8028-1 ISBN 978-1-4899-8029-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-8029-8
SpringerNewYorkHeidelbergDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2013957121
(cid:2)SpringerScience+BusinessMediaNewYork2014
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For our wives
Gabriella and Judy
Preface
This book examines the use of assistive technology by a variety of individuals,
manyofwhomexperiencedifficultiesintheirdailylivesbecauseof,forexample,
acquired brain damage, autism, communication and motor impairment, and
Alzheimer’sdisease.Thenumberofindividualscomprisingthesegroupsisslowly
increasing due to factors such as longer life expectancy, higher posttraumatic
survival rate, and lower neonatal mortality. As such, families and professionals
largely agree there is an increased need for intervention programs to improve the
qualityoflifeoftheseindividuals.Whilethetypeofinterventionmayvary,there
is a trend toward increased use of assistive technology to effectively and cost-
efficiently manage the proposed interventions. For example, microswitch-aided
programs are typically more beneficial and affordable than simple staff-aided
stimulation in increasing the activity and self-determination of people with motor
and intellectual impairments. Similarly, programs based on speech-generating
devices or personal data assistants are considered better and less expensive than
direct intervention strategies for active communication and memory.
Theaimofthebookistoprovideacurrentreviewofresearchandintervention
strategies for nine groups of people: individuals with acquired brain damage,
college students with attention and learning difficulties, people with communica-
tionimpairment,peoplewithvisualimpairmentandblindness,peoplewithautism
spectrum disorders, people with behavioral and occupational disorders, people
with Alzheimer’s disease, people with learning disabilities, and people with
severe/profound and multiple intellectual and motor or sensory-motor impair-
ments. There is a chapter dedicated to each group, which provides information
regarding(a)individuals’generalcharacteristics,withpersonalandsocialneedsto
be met; (b) technology available; (c) technology-aided programs assessed in the
literature; (d) outcomes of the programs; and (e) discussion of the outcomes and
implicationsforfutureresearchandinterventionprograms.Theoverallaimofthis
bookistoprovideahighlyinformativeandpracticaloutlookoftypicalissuesand
potential solutions afforded by technology-aided programs. The authors provide
evidence-based guidelines across fields to support initiatives and increase practi-
tioners’ probability of success.
This book represents the effort of many authors. As editors, we would like to
thankthemfortheirscientificcontributionsandtheirpositiveattitudesthroughout
the book development process. We would also like to thank the researchers and
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viii Preface
technical experts (engineers) who helped us better understand the problems
experienced by persons with diverse abilities and the technology-aided strategies
thatmightbeusedtohelpthem,andtheorganizationsthatsupportedourresearch
initiatives. With regard to the researchers and technical experts, we would like to
acknowledge the extensive contribution of Doretta Oliva, Domenico Bellini,
SandroBracalente,andGianluigiMontironi.Withregardtotheorganizations,we
would like to emphasize the lasting positive role of the Lega F. D’Oro Research
Center, Osimo (Italy), the University of Bari (Italy), ONE Research Institute,
Raleigh, North Carolina (USA), and the Medical College of Georgia, Georgia
Regents University, Augusta, Georgia (USA).
Contents
1 Assistive Technologies for Improving Quality of Life. . . . . . . . . . 1
Giulio E. Lancioni and Nirbhay N. Singh
2 Assistive Technology for People with Acquired Brain Injury . . . . 21
Mandy Rispoli, Wendy Machalicek and Russell Lang
3 Assistive Technology for Postsecondary Students
with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Russell Lang, Sathiyaprakash Ramdoss, Jeff Sigafoos,
Vanessa A. Green, Larah van der Meer, Amy Tostanoski,
Allyson Lee and Mark F. O’Reilly
4 Assistive Technology for People with Communication
Disorders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Jeff Sigafoos, Ralf W. Schlosser, Giulio E. Lancioni,
Mark F. O’Reilly, Vanessa A. Green and Nirbhay N. Singh
5 Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairments
and Blindness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Austin M. Mulloy, Cindy Gevarter, Megan Hopkins,
Kevin S. Sutherland and Sathiyaprakash T. Ramdoss
6 Assistive Technology for People with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Russell Lang, Sathiyaprakash Ramdoss, Tracy Raulston,
Amarie Carnet, Jeff Sigafoos, Robert Didden,
Dennis Moore and Mark F. O’Reilly
7 Assistive Technology for People with Behavior
Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Mark F. O’Reilly, Giulio E. Lancioni, Jeff Sigafoos,
Russell Lang, Olive Healy, Nirbhay N. Singh,
Audrey Sorrells, Soyeon Kang, Heather Koch,
Laura Rojeski and Cindy Gevarter
ix
x Contents
8 Assistive Technology for People with Alzheimer’s
Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Nirbhay N. Singh, Giulio E. Lancioni, Jeff Sigafoos,
Mark F. O’Reilly and Alan S. W. Winton
9 Assistive Technology for Individuals with Learning
Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Diane Pedrotty Bryant, Brian R. Bryant and Min Wook Ok
10 Assistive Technology for People with Severe/Profound
Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Giulio E. Lancioni, Nirbhay N. Singh, Mark F. O’Reilly,
Jeff Sigafoos and Doretta Oliva
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
About the Editors
Giulio E. Lancioni, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and
SenseOrgans,UniversityofBari,Italy.Priortothisposition,hespentmanyyears
at the Department of Psychology, University of Leiden, The Netherlands. His
research interests include development and assessment of assistive technologies,
training of social and occupational skills, and evaluation of strategies for exam-
iningpreferenceandchoicewithindividualswithsevere/profoundintellectualand
multiple disabilities (including post-coma persons in a minimally conscious state
andpersonswithAlzheimer’sdisease).Hehaspublishedwidelyintheseareasand
servesontheeditorialboardofseveralinternationaljournalsconcernedwiththese
topics.
Nirbhay N. Singh, Ph.D., BCBA-D is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and
Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University,
Augusta, Georgia, USA. Prior to his current appointment, he was a Professor of
Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology at the Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Medicine and Director of the Commonwealth Institute for Family
Studies, Richmond, Virginia. His research interests include mindfulness, behav-
ioral and psychopharmacological treatments of individuals with disabilities, and
assistive technologyfor supportingindividualswith severe/profoundandmultiple
disabilities.HeistheEditor-in-Chiefoftwojournals:JournalofChildandFamily
Studies and Mindfulness, and Editor of three book series: Mindfulness in Behav-
ioral Health, Evidence-based Practice in Behavioral Health, and Children and
Families.
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