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Assisting Two Children with Multiple Disabilities and Minimal Motor Skills Control Environmental Stimuli with Thumb Poke Through a Trackball

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2010

Ching-Hsiang Shih  and
Ching-Tien Shih
Ching-Hsiang Shih*
Affiliation:
National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan
Ching-Tien Shih
Affiliation:
Tung-Fang Institute of Technology, Taiwan
*
Reprint requests to Ching-Hsiang Shih, Department of Special Education, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 970, Taiwan (R.O.C.). E-mail: schee@mail.ndhu.edu.tw
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Abstract

Background: Microswitches are the most commonly used input device for people with multiple disabilities to control environmental stimulation. However, little is known about adopting the commercial trackball with a revised trackball driver as a more feasible input device. Aims: To assess whether two children with profound multiple disabilities and minimal motor skills would be able to control environmental stimulation using thumb poke ability through cordless trackballs installed with a newly developed mouse driver (i.e. a new mouse driver replacing a standard mouse driver, turning a trackball mouse into a precise thumb poke detector). Method: An ABAB design and a 2-month post-intervention check were adopted to perform the study. Results: Data showed that the two children improved significantly in their target response (thumb poke) to activate the control system to produce environmental stimuli during the B (intervention) phases. This performance was maintained at the post-intervention check. Conclusions: The use of thumb poke in connection with a trackball allowed the children with multiple disabilities and minimal motor skills to increase their level of response and stimulation control.

Keywords

Thumb pokedetectortrackballmultiple disabilities
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , March 2010 , pp. 211 - 219
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2010

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