Mainstream Technology as Basic Support for Individuals with Extensive Neuro-Motor Impairments and Absence of Verbal Skil
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Mainstream Technology as Basic Support for Individuals with Extensive Neuro-Motor Impairments and Absence of Verbal Skills Giulio E. Lancioni 1 & Mark F. O’Reilly 2 & Jeff Sigafoos 3 & Fiora D’Amico 4 & Antonella Spica 4 & Francesca Buonocunto 5 & Valentina Del Gaudio 5 & Crocefissa Lanzilotti 5 & Jorge Navarro 6
# Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Objectives The present study was aimed at assessing a simplified technology-aided program to allow eight participants with extensive neuro-motor impairments and absence of verbal skills to access preferred leisure events and call the caregiver independently. Methods The technology included mainstream commercial components such as an Echo Dot© with Amazon Alexa©, a Samsung smartphone, and two voice recording devices. Each voice recording device served to record and produce a verbal message, that is, “Alexa music” and “Alexa call the caregiver (NAME)” during the intervention phase of the study. The devices were displayed in front of the participants and could be activated by a simple hand-pressure response. Activation of the devices led the Alexa application of the Echo Dot to deliver a song and call the caregiver, respectively. Results During the baseline sessions (without the support of the voice recording devices), the participants failed to access songs or to call the caregiver. During the intervention phase (with the support of the voice recording devices), all participants managed to access songs and to call the caregiver independently. The cumulative mean frequency of songs accessed and calls made per 10min session varied between slightly above 4 and nearly 6. The mean frequency of songs accessed tended to be predominant for all participants. Conclusions The new technology-aided program may be a useful resource for supporting individuals like the participants of this study. Keywords Echo Dot . Alexa . Smartphone . Voice recording devices . Neuro-motor impairments . Absence of verbal skills
A number of individuals who are in rehabilitation or care centers present with complex conditions involving (a) extensive neuro-motor impairments that force them to use wheelchairs or stay in bed, with limited abilities to reach or
* Giulio E. Lancioni [email protected] 1
Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Corso Italia 23, 70121 Bari, Italy
2
University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
3
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
4
Silver House Health and Care Services, Bari, Italy
5
S. Raffaele Rehabilitation Center, Ceglie, Italy
6
Don Carlo Gnocchi I.R.C.C.S, Milan, Italy
manipulate objects, and (b) lack of verbal skills that prevents them from any opportunity to express themselves (De Guzman and Ament 2017; Lancioni et al. 2014; Oskarsson et al. 2018). The causes underlying their condition may be multiple (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative diseases) (Brunner et al. 2017; Desai and Jain 2018; Jones 2017; Kalaria et al., 2016; Nicholson et al. 2018). In spite of the
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