Post-coma persons in a minimally conscious state and with extensive motor impairment or emerging/emerged from such a state, but affected by lack of speech and motor impairment, tend to be passive and isolated. A way to help them develop functional responding to control environmental events and communication involves the use of intervention programs relying on assistive technology. This paper provides an overview of technology-based intervention programs for enabling the participants to (a) access brief periods of stimulation through one or two microswitches, (b) pursue stimulation and social contact through the combination of a microswitch and a sensor connected to a speech generating device (SGD) or through two SGD-related sensors, (c) control stimulation options through computer or radio systems and a microswitch, (d) communicate through modified messaging or telephone systems operated via microswitch, and (e) control combinations of leisure and communication options through computer systems operated via microswitch. Twenty-six studies, involving a total of 52 participants, were included in this paper. The intervention programs were carried out using single-subject methodology, and their outcomes were generally considered positive from the standpoint of the participants and their context. Practical implications of the programs are discussed. © 2014 Lancioni, Bosco, Olivetti Belardinelli, Singh, O'Reilly, Sigafoos and Oliva.
CITATION STYLE
Lancioni, G. E., Bosco, A., Belardinelli, M. O., Singh, N. N., O’Reilly, M. F., Sigafoos, J., & Oliva, D. (2014). Technology-based intervention programs to promote stimulation control and communication in post-coma persons with different levels of disability. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8(1 FEB). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00048
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