Further evaluation of a telephone technology for enabling persons with multiple disabilities and lack of speech to make phone contacts with socially relevant partners.

Two adults who could not speak and had severe motor impairments tested a microswitch phone system. The setup was a small net-book, a GSM modem, an optic microswitch, and custom software.

During baseline they could not call anyone. In training they learned to press the switch to scroll photos and press again to dial the chosen person. Calls went to family, friends, or staff they picked themselves.

Both learners reached 100 % correct dialing in 5 and 7 sessions. They kept the skill for the whole 3-month follow-up.

Observers rated their happiness as high during most calls. The device let them start chats without staff help.

Robertson et al. (2013) shows the same microswitch idea works for texting after coma. The target paper adds voice calls for a different group, a direct conceptual replication.

Au-Yeung et al. (2015) moves the idea to Facebook. Their Endeavor Connect interface gave young adults with ID independent social media access. Together the studies build a ladder: microswitch → phone → texting → Facebook.

Tanis et al. (2012) warns that most adults with IDD still lack any assistive tech. These single-case wins remind us to assess and prescribe, not assume clients already have tools.

If a client can blink or move a finger, you can give them a social life. One optic switch plus old net-book hardware costs under $100 and takes an afternoon to program. Start with two favorite contacts, teach switch-press to dial, then expand the photo book. The smile data say the call itself is the reinforcer, so sessions stay short and fun.