Post-coma persons emerging from a minimally conscious state with multiple disabilities make technology-aided phone contacts with relevant partners.

Two adults who had just come out of a minimally conscious state tried a new phone setup. A small switch they could press sat near their hand or head. The switch was wired to a cell-phone modem and a computer.

Each press dialed a pre-loaded family member or friend. The calls went through a speaker so the client could hear without holding anything. Staff recorded how often each person called and how long they stayed on.

Both clients learned to hit the switch and made calls on their own. They smiled, laughed, or kept eye contact while talking, signs they enjoyed the chat. Calls happened many times a day once the system was in place.

Smith et al. (2010) used the same kind of switch so post-coma patients could pick songs or ask for more videos. The new study swaps music for phone calls, showing the tool can move from simple choice to real social contact.

Perilli et al. (2012) gave adults with Alzheimer's the exact phone system. Their clients also dialed family by pressing a switch. The 2013 paper pushes that success into people emerging from coma, a group usually thought too impaired for tech.

Van Hanegem et al. (2014) and Robertson et al. (2013) used switches to reward exercise or walking. Those studies kept the reward on the table. Here, the reward is hearing a loved one's voice, proving the switch can tie to a powerful social reinforcer.

If you work with adults after severe brain injury, a single microswitch can give them a voice again. You can start with any small movement they still have—eye blink, finger lift, head turn—and link it to a phone dialer. No need for fancy eye-gaze gear or long training. The call itself is the reinforcer, so motivation stays high. Try it during downtime; family on the other end supplies natural praise and keeps the interaction going.