Enabling persons with acquired brain injury and multiple disabilities to choose among environmental stimuli and request their repetition via a technology-assisted program

This study replicated/extended a pilot investigation of a technologyassisted program to enable persons with acquired brain injury and neuro-motor and communication/consciousness impairments to choose among environmental stimuli and request their repetition whenever they so desired. The study included three adult participants. Within each session, 16 stimuli (12 preferred and 4 non-preferred) were planned for the participants. A computer system provided a reminder of each stimulus (i.e., a 4-s sample of the stimulus). During the intervention, participants’ responding (e.g., repeated eye blinking or prolonged eye closure) in relation to a reminder/sample activated a microswitch, which triggered the computer system to turn on the related stimulus for 20 s. Participants’ lack of responding led the computer system to proceed to the next stimulus sample of the sequence. When participants responded immediately after (i.e., within 6 s from) the end of a stimulus presentation, that stimulus was repeated. Intervention promoted response increases for all three participants. All of them asked for repetition of preferred stimuli and showed minimal responding in relation to non-preferred stimuli. Results were discussed in light of previous (pilot) data with the same program and in terms of their implications for rehabilitation initiatives.