Building choice opportunities within occupational programmes for persons with profound developmental disabilities.
Adults with profound disabilities can learn to choose their work when the choice is built into the task itself.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Taras et al. (1993) built a simple computer job for two adults with profound disabilities.
The screen showed two picture boxes. A tap on either box started a different workshop task.
One person had used the computer before. The other had not.
What they found
Both adults stayed busy with real work after they tapped their pick.
The experienced user learned to choose quickly. The new user needed more help at first.
Choice showed up faster when the person already knew the computer setup.
How this fits with other research
Stasolla et al. (2014) copied the idea but swapped the computer for light sensors. Their two clients also chose more and smiled more while stereotypy dropped.
Shih et al. (2012) added a Wii Remote. Clients pressed a button to turn on music or lights right after they finished a work step. Work output jumped, showing the choice trick works with other gadgets too.
Armas Junco et al. (2025) moved choice out of the workshop and into group homes. Adults who got daily pick chances gained far more self-determination than adults who only received staff support. The table-top lesson scales up to real life.
Why it matters
You can teach choice-making even when someone has no speech and limited hand use. Put two big buttons or sensors in reach and let the job start only after a pick is made. Start with clients who already like screens or lights; they learn the routine fastest. Once the habit is strong, fade the tech and move the choices into everyday tasks like picking the lunch seat or the job order. More choices today mean more self-direction tomorrow.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Choice opportunities were arranged within the occupational programmes of two subjects with profound developmental disabilities. The subject participating in Experiment 1 was already familiar with a computer-aided programme aimed at promoting independent occupation. That programme was now extended to allow him to choose activities and reinforcers. He was also exposed to a control programme involving the use of folders with drawings. The subject participating in Experiment 2 had no previous experience with special programmes. For this subject, two versions of a computer-aided programme were used: one to teach occupational engagement without choice; and the other occupational engagement with choice. The results have shown that the first subject was very successful in combining choice behaviour and constructive activity with the computer-aided programme, but not with the control programme. The second subject learned very rapidly independent activity engagement, but required relatively long time to develop 'meaningful' choice behaviour. General implications of the findings are discussed.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 1993 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.1993.tb00867.x