Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Advancing Dyslexia Assessment in Children Through Computerized Testing
Published on: August 16, 2024
Extending the evaluation of a computer system used as a microswitch for word utterances of persons with multiple
G E Lancioni1, M F O'Reilly, N N Singh
1Department of Psychology, University of Bari, Italy. g.lancioni@psico.uniba.it
Background:
Micro-switches can be vital tools to help individuals with extensive multiple disabilities acquire control of environmental stimulation. This study was aimed at extending the evaluation of a computer system used as a microswitch for word utterances with three participants with multiple disabilities.
Method:
Sets of 7 or 12 word utterances were used for the participants. The utterances were divided into three groups, which were exposed to intervention successively. During the intervention and a 2-month post-intervention check, the participants' emission of the target utterances led the system to present favourite, matching stimuli (i.e. provided that it recognized the utterances).
Results:
Intervention data showed that (1) the participants increased the frequencies of the target utterances and (2) the computer system recognized approximately 80% of those utterances. These findings were maintained at the post-intervention check. An analysis of the levels of occurrence of individual utterances showed statistically significant differences among them, in line with the notions of preference and choice.
Conclusions:
The computer system was useful as a microswitch to enable access to favourite stimuli. There is a need to improve the accuracy of the system with respect to its recognition of the participants' utterances.
