Assisting people with developmental disabilities to improve computer pointing efficiency through Multiple Mice and Automatic Pointing Assistive Programs.
Two adults with developmental disabilities learned faster, more accurate mouse pointing using off-the-shelf mice plus automatic cursor-capture software instead of specialized devices.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two adults with developmental disabilities tried to click icons on a computer. The researcher gave each person two regular mice and free software that snaps the cursor into the target. No fancy joysticks or $500 switches.
The study ran until each adult could hit the icon quickly and keep the skill later.
What they found
Both adults got faster and more accurate at clicking. They still did well when the helper software was turned off weeks later.
The cheap setup worked as well as costly assistive devices.
How this fits with other research
Shih et al. (2009) first showed that two ordinary mice alone help. The 2011 paper adds the auto-capture program, so clients succeed sooner.
Shih et al. (2010) used a thumb-poke trackball to reach the same goal. The new study gives you a second option: keep the mice you already own and just add the snap-in software.
Shimizu et al. (2010) taught preschoolers to use one mouse with shaping. The 2011 study skips long teaching and lets adults start with two mice plus cursor help.
Why it matters
You can set this up in five minutes. Plug in two mice, load the free program, and let the client click. No extra budget, no waiting for insurance. Try it next time an adult with motor delays needs computer access.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study combines multi-mice technology (people with disabilities can use standard mice, instead of specialized alternative computer input devices, to achieve complete mouse operation) with an assistive pointing function (i.e. cursor-capturing, which enables the user to move the cursor to the target center automatically), to assess whether two people with developmental disabilities would be able to improve their pointing performance through a Multiple Mice Automatic Pointing Assistive Program (MMAPAP), where driver technology is adopted to enable people with disabilities to export the remaining ability of each limb to complete the mouse operation. At the beginning of the study, both participants received their baseline sessions. Then the first participant started his intervention session. The second participant had her intervention when the first participant's performance was consolidated. In the end, both participants were exposed to the maintenance phase, in which their pointing performance improved significantly. Data showed that both participants improved their pointing efficiency with the use of MMAPAP and remained highly successful through the maintenance phase. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.03.002