Helping People with Intellectual and Visual Disabilities Manage Object Use and Mobility via Technology-Regulated Instructions, Spatial Cues, and Stimulation

Abstract

Helping people with intellectual and visual disabilities engage in activity and mobility is considered crucially important to promote constructive occupation and a basic form of physical exercise (i.e., objectives that are essential for the individuals’ wellbeing and in line with their rights). This study assessed two new programs aimed at helping eight participants with intellectual and visual disabilities (four in each program) to independently move through specific indoor destinations, collect and transport objects, and access stimulation events (e.g., music) with the support of technology systems involving a smartphone linked to mini cameras and speakers. The second program was more advanced than the first and (a) required the participants to discriminate the objects used and transport two (rather than one) of them before any stimulation event, and (b) included telephone calls to and stories from preferred communication partners among the stimulation events. Each program was implemented using a single-case research design (i.e., a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across participants). The results showed that both programs were effective in enabling the participants to collect, transport, and put away objects and access stimulation independently during 20-min sessions. Based on the results, both programs might be considered useful tools to help people with intellectual and visual disabilities manage independent activity and mobility.

Keywords

• intellectual disability
• visual disability
• technology
• spatial cues
• instructions
• stimulation