Teaching choice making during social interactions to students with profound multiple disabilities

Area of Science:

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Developmental Disabilities
• Behavioral Interventions

Background:

• Individuals with profound multiple disabilities often face challenges in social interaction and environmental control.
• Microswitch technology offers a potential avenue for enhancing communication and engagement for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To teach students with profound multiple disabilities to use a microswitch system for requesting changes in recreational stimuli.
• To assess the impact of microswitch use on social interaction engagement and alertness.
• To explore the stability of preference hierarchies in this population.

Main Methods:

• A preference assessment was conducted to identify preferred and least preferred recreational stimuli.
• Microswitch communication system training was implemented, incorporating personalized stimuli.
• The system's use was extended to social interactions with nondisabled peers.

Main Results:

• Three out of four students learned to operate the microswitch system to control stimulus presentation.
• These students demonstrated increased differentiation in time spent with stimuli and enhanced general alertness.
• Two students showed increased engagement when they controlled stimulus changes; one student was more alert when a peer controlled changes.

Conclusions:

• Controlling stimulus presentation via microswitch systems can positively impact the behavior of students with profound multiple disabilities.
• The findings suggest that microswitch technology can be a valuable tool for improving social engagement and alertness.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term stability of preference hierarchies and individual response patterns.