Using an Extended Dynamic Drag-and-Drop Assistive Program to assist people with multiple disabilities and minimal...

Software technology is adopted by the current research to improve the Drag-and-Drop abilities of two people with multiple disabilities and minimal motor control. This goal was realized through a Dynamic Drag-and-Drop Assistive Program (DDnDAP) in which the complex dragging process is replaced by simply poking the mouse wheel and clicking. However, DDnDAP has one limitation--users cannot freely define their desired destinations because the program only allows for the dragging of targets to fixed destinations. This study evaluated whether two children with developmental disabilities and minimal motor control would be able to improve their DnD performance through an Extended Dynamic Drag-and-Drop Assistive Program (EDDnDAP), which improves on the aforementioned limitation of DDnDAP. A multiple probe design across participants was used in this study to assess the effects of using EDDnDAP in enhancing participants' DnD abilities. Participants typically received three 20-min EDDnDAP training sessions per week, for a period of about 6-7 weeks. Both participants significantly improved their DnD efficiency with the help of EDDnDAP, and both remained highly successful through the maintenance phase. The implications of these findings are discussed.