REHABILITATIVE SOFTWARE FOR HEAD TRAUMA VICTIMS

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Each year there are 70,000 new head trauma victims whose primary medical and long-term rehabilitation costs place tremendous financial burdens on their families. The need is great for low-cost rehabilitation tools that can be used in the home to supplement and reinforce therapy programs provided by rehabilitation professionals. Phase I of this effort will explore the viability of computer software implemented on inexpensive computers as an adjunct to professional therapy. Existing software will be altered to meet specifications prepared by the American Head Trauma Alliance. Software will be provided both on cassette tape and on cartridge to test ease of use of both forms. Alternate technologies for re-programming cartridges will be evaluated. A key element of the software design is the provision for modification by parents and therapists untrained in computing to tailor the programs to the needs and environments of individual head truma victims. The resulting software and storage media will be tested by teams composed of head trauma victims, parents, and rehabilitation professionals. Guidelines for the development and use of such software will be prepared for dissemination by the AHTA.