TECHNOLOGY FOR ADULTS WITH MULTIPLE IMPAIRMENTS - A TRILOGY OF CASE-REPORTS

Three persons with severe physical and cognitive impairments, resident s of a facility for persons with mental retardation, learned to use sw itch-controlled assistive devices. Previous case reports have describe d the technology and techniques used to enable these women to explore their surroundings. Material was collected, organized, and analyzed in three sections: clients, powered devices, and treatment approaches. T he purpose was to affirm tenets that often provide the basis for treat ment when powered activities are used in occupational therapy with adu lts with severe impairments. Client enthusiasm, responsiveness, and st amina can be predictive of success in using technology. Powered device s can elicit a client's drive for competence, aid therapists in assess ing the cognitive level of adults with extreme physical disability, an d allow persons with multiple impairments to interact with objects in their environment. When clients learn to use powered devices, success will be self-perpetuating. Persons with multiple impairments using pow ered devices are well served by conditional clinical reasoning.