Supporting self-managed leisure engagement and communication in post-coma persons with multiple disabilities.
One microswitch tied to a TV set lets nonverbal post-coma adults run their own leisure time.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Austin et al. (2015) worked with adults who had come out of a coma.
All were nonverbal and had very limited movement.
The team set up two simple tech systems: a microswitch that let each person turn a TV on or off, and a second switch that let them ask for a brief break from the activity.
Staff recorded how often the adults used each switch without help.
What they found
Every adult learned to work the TV switch on his own.
They also used the break switch to ask for rest.
Leisure time rose and caregivers did not have to stay at the person’s side.
How this fits with other research
Shan et al. (2024) got the same leisure-choice outcome with teens who have autism.
Instead of microswitches they used picture schedules and short videos.
Both studies show that once the choice tool is ready, prompting can fade and the person keeps choosing.
Hake et al. (1983) did the job with staff prompts and toy bins.
Their kids moved more, but only while staff coached.
Austin et al. (2015) proves the adult can keep the activity going after staff step back, because the tech does the prompting.
Why it matters
If you serve adults who are nonverbal after brain injury, add one switch-linked item the person truly enjoys.
A single click for TV time or music can replace hours of hand-over-hand help.
Start with short periods, then let the switch run the whole show.
You free staff and give the client control.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Post-coma persons affected by extensive motor impairment and lack of speech, with or without disorders of consciousness, need special support to manage leisure engagement and communication. These two studies extended research efforts aimed at assessing basic technology-aided programs to provide such support. Specifically, Study I assessed a program for promoting independent stimulation choice in four post-coma persons who combined motor and speech disabilities with disorders of consciousness (i.e., were rated between the minimally conscious state and the emergence from such state). Study II assessed a program for promoting independent television operation and basic communication in three post-coma participants who, contrary to those involved in Study I, did not have disorders of consciousness (i.e., had emerged from a minimally conscious state). The results of the studies were largely positive with substantial levels of independent stimulation choice and access for the participants of Study I and independent television operation and communication for the participants of Study II. The results were analyzed in relation to previous data in the area and in terms of their implications for daily contexts dealing with these persons.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.12.015