How Well Do We Use Our Technology? Examining iPad Navigation Skills in Individuals With Aphasia and Older Adults

Purpose Technology is increasingly being used in rehabilitation, yet exposure and comfort with technology varies across individuals, particularly among older adults. There are limited ways to evaluate comfort with technology or teach people how to use technological devices. The objective of the current study was to develop an iPad task battery and evaluate performance by individuals with aphasia and older adults, further examining whether participants could learn to improve performance with written, verbal, and visual instructions. Method Thirty-two participants completed this study (16 with poststroke aphasia and 16 older adult controls). Participants completed 3 phases of testing: (a) baseline evaluation of performance of an iPad task battery, (b) teaching and practice of unknown tasks, and (c) retention evaluation. Participants were scored on accuracy, speed, and efficiency in each phase. Results were evaluated as a function of demographic and cognitive-linguistic variables. Results Results demonstrate that variability arises in people's abilities to perform tasks on an iPad and that cognitive skills such as executive functions, planning, and visuospatial attention relate to baseline scores of performance. The majority of participants with aphasia showed evidence of retaining information learned in the teaching and practice phase; however, they showed a lower percentage of retained lessons relative to controls. Conclusions Findings support the hypothesis that technology abilities vary among individuals with and without aphasia. Evaluating technology ability and the ability to learn technology is an important component to consider when prescribing tablet-based therapies.