Occupational engagement of low-functioning individuals: extending the applicability of a computer-aided programme

The present study addressed two questions concerning a computer-aided programme for supervising occupational activities for low-functioning individuals. The first question was about the possibility of using the programme for extended time periods. The second question concerned the viability of the programme for subjects who require physical prompting in addition to normal supervision (e.g. instructions and reinforcement). Three adolescents participated in the study. Two of them (who could perform under normal supervision) were selected for investigating the first question. The other subject (who required caretaker prompting) served for the second question. The results for the first two subjects showed that the computer-aided programme could easily ensure engagement in constructive activities for periods of about 30 min. The data for the third subject showed the establishment of moderate responding. The practical implications of the findings are discussed.