Evaluating a Low-Cost Technology to Enable People with Intellectual Disability or Psychiatric Disorders to Initiate and Perform Functional Daily Activities

Emanuela Resta, Lucia Brunone, Fiora D’Amico and Lorenzo Desideri
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Emanuela Resta: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Lucia Brunone: Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service “Incontri”, 70017 Bari, Italy
Fiora D’Amico: Silver House Health and Care Services, 70011 Bari, Italy
Lorenzo Desideri: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: People with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders and cognitive dysfunctions may need assistive technology to maintain and improve their levels of functioning and independence. This study assessed a smartphone-based system to remind the user to initiate functional daily activities (e.g., setting a table for lunch) and perform them without the support of a caregiver. The system was evaluated through a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across two groups of participants. During the intervention sessions, the participants were provided with a system involving a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone fitted with the Easy Alarm YouTube application and audio files. The alarm served to remind the participant to carry out a planned activity. Following the reminder, the smartphone presented each of the step instructions preset for the activity. The data showed a statistically significant increase in the number of activities initiated independently from baseline to intervention for all participants. All participants also showed a significant increase in the number of activity steps correctly performed when supported by the smartphone. These results suggest that a low-cost system (i.e., smartphone) can be used to improve independence of people with intellectual disability or psychiatric disorders with cognitive dysfunctions.

Keywords: assistive technology; low-cost solutions; functional activities; independence; intellectual disability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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