Objectives: The present study evaluated a new smartphone-based program to help 12 participants with intellectual disability plus visual and motor impairments to self-regulate their stimulation input (thus avoiding their dependence on staff) through simple non-verbal responses. Method: Nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs across participants…

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a conversation-based intervention on the expressive vocabulary and grammatical skills of children with severe motor speech disorders and expressive language delay who use augmentative and alternative communication. Method: Eight children aged from 8 to 13 years participated in the study.…

The purpose of this study is to measure the effects of fostering resilience through art education for students with severe physical disabilities ages 7-21. Recent trends of fostering resilience through art education were explored. Current attitudes towards art education for severely disables individuals were also explored. Of particular interest…

One of the benefits of physical activity in people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) is an increase in alertness. This study investigated the effect of a power-assisted exercise intervention on alertness and the relationship of this effect to the level of additional motor and visual impairments in people with PIMD. A…

This study assessed the effectiveness of microswitches for simple responses (i.e., partial hand closure, vocalization, and hand stroking) and a keyboard emulator to facilitate the writing performance of three participants with extensive motor disabilities. The study was carried out according to an ABAB design. During the A phases, the participants…

In this study we examine the effectiveness of an intervention program to influence attitudes of elementary school students towards peers with intellectual, physical and severe physical and intellectual disabilities. A quasi-experimental longitudinal study was designed with an experimental group and a control group, both comprising two rural…

This research project studied the effect that a technology-based training program, WheelchairNet, could contribute to the education of children with physical disabilities by providing a chance to practice driving virtual motorized wheelchairs safely within a computer-generated world. Programmers created three virtual worlds for training. Scenarios…

Three studies on B. Le Gay Brereton's approach with severely motorically or multiply disabled preschool children are reported. The program focuses on play and suggests that development should be repeated from the point at which it went wrong. Results included small but statistical changes in cognitive skills. (CL)

Residential and public school staff (N=137) involved in a one-session training program showed significantly improved knowledge levels about feeding approaches for severely physically handicapped persons compared to an untrained group. No significant changes were found in attitude, feeding-related behaviors, or mealtime quality. (CL)

An Attendant Care Pilot Project, administered by the Home Care Service of New South Wales, Australia, and providing attendant care for 24 permanently severely physically disabled adults for 2 years, was evaluated. The patients were medically stable and intellectually capable of managing their own affairs; all had impairments which required…

This practicum aimed to provide nonverbal students with a communication program to increase expressive language for daily living skills. Target students were four children (ages 6 to 7) with cerebral palsy. The practicum involved introducing children to pleasurable activities that encouraged communication behaviors, showing the children…

This report details the findings of a survey of supported employment directors in the 50 state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, that sought to identify potential barriers to a variety of supported employment services for persons with severe physical disabilities. Key findings include: (1) 84 percent of the agencies provided services to…