This study assessed whether two persons with multiple disabilities would be able to control environmental stimulation using limb swing with a gyration air mouse and a newly developed limb movement detection program (LMDP, i.e., a new software program that turns a gyration air mouse into a precise limb movement detector). The study was performed…

This study evaluated whether two people with multiple disabilities would be able to improve their pointing performance through an Automatic Target Acquisition Program (ATAP) and a newly developed mouse driver (i.e. a new mouse driver replaces standard mouse driver, and is able to monitor mouse movement and intercept click action). Initially, both…

The first of these two studies assessed whether 11 participants with multiple disabilities of 5.3-18.2 (M = 10.7) years of age would succeed in combining a microswitch for accessing preferred environmental stimuli and a Voice Output Communication Aid (VOCA) for requesting social contact. The second study conducted a social validation assessment of…

All students receiving special education services are entitled to the consideration of assistive technology (AT) devices and services; however, little research is available on who uses AT in schools. This study analyzed data from the National Assistive Technology Research Institute's (NATRI) Status of AT Use Survey to provide descriptive…

Research into integrating technology such as iPads into the curriculum for students with disabilities is still new. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the use of a basic math skill application on an iPad to increase basic math fluency. As part of a classwide academic intervention, the study was conducted with 10 students with…

A program relying on microswitch clusters (i.e., combinations of microswitches) and preferred stimuli was recently developed to foster adaptive responses and head control in persons with multiple disabilities. In the last version of this program, preferred stimuli (a) are scheduled for adaptive responses occurring in combination with head control…

This study assessed the possibility of enabling two students with multiple disabilities to request and choose among environmental stimuli through microswitch and computer technology. Each student was provided with two basic microswitches the activation of which made a computer system present a sample of a preferred or non-preferred stimulus. The…

Enabling persons with intellectual or multiple disabilities to carry out personal care tasks (such as washing and dressing) independent of guidance from parents or staff members and without prolonged interruptions is often difficult, particularly with persons whose disabilities also include visual impairments. Attempts were recently made to curb…

The effects of microswitch-based programs on indices of happiness were evaluated with 9 students who had profound multiple disabilities. Each student received an ABAB sequence in which A represented baseline phases and B, intervention phases. During the latter phases, microswitches were used to enable the students to control preferred…

Published articles about assistive technology (AT) from 1980 through 2004 were reviewed to identify those that focused on infants and young children. A total of 104 articles about AT with infants and toddlers were identified, and of these, 23 reported practices for teaching switch activation (12), computer use (6), power mobility skills (4), or…

This article discuses how assistive technology affected the emergent literacy of 10 preschoolers (age 3) with multiple disabilities. The children used picture communication symbols, adapted books, a BIGmack, and a computer with Intellikeys, Intellipics, and Overlay Maker, alternative keyboard, and software. The benefits to the children are…