SPOKEN MESSAGES AS AUDITORY CUES FOR ORIENTATION IN PROMOTING INDOOR TRAVEL AND ACTIVITY BY PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

Spoken messages lasting about 2 sec. and occurring every 8 or 9 sec. w ere used as auditory cues for orientation to guide two persons with mu ltiple disabilities to destinations for indoor activities. The use of spoken messages was alternated with buzzer-like sounds of the same dur ation and frequency of occurrence. The preliminary data indicated that both the spoken messages and the buzzer-like sounds were very effecti ve as orientation cues. Staff found no difference in disturbance betwe en them, yet, both were considered less disturbing than buzzer-like so unds of previous studies which had a higher frequency of occurrence.