Communication by People with Profound Multiple Impairments

项目一：严重多重障碍者的沟通 严重多重损伤（PMI）的个体是那些有认知、感觉和运动功能障碍的人。 导致严重沟通障碍的疾病。一般来说，患有PMI的人是非语言的， 很少表现出有意识的非象征性交流行为。在我们最近的研究中， 对于许多患有PMI的人来说，用自适应开关控制刺激源， 关于刺激类型的偏好（例如，音乐对振动）。有些人也学会了 如何在两个同时可用的源之间进行选择，避免关闭其中一个源的开关 电源和关闭开关的替代。这些技能代表了一个发展尖端的获得 我们称之为偶然性歧视。我们建议证明，获得这种尖端的个人 可以学习另一对偶然事件：（a）避免关闭开关， 优选的刺激源，以及（B）当高度优选的刺激源 暂时无法使用通过单主体行为分析方法，我们建议找到 开关闭合要求和呼叫模式的个性化组合（例如，语音输出 通信辅助器、蜂鸣器），其导致可靠的、上下文控制的信令。信号用户将 测试了对机会的泛化，以发出会话发起的信号，并请求低偏好 刺激源被替换为高偏好源。拟议的研究将合并 创新和传统的教学方法，以揭示沟通的潜力，而不是以前认为 可能与这个人口。通过逻辑回归分析，我们将测试以下几个假设： 参与者变量与结果成功之间的可能关系。研究的意义在于 它有可能证明即使是最严重受损的个体也能进步 沿着传播发展的连续体，以及揭示他们中谁最有可能 成功

Project I: Communication by People with Profound Multiple Impairments Individuals with profound multiple impairments (PMI) are those who have cognitive, sensory, and motor disorders leading to severe deficits in communication. Generally, individuals with PMI are nonverbal and rarely exhibit intentional nonsymbolic communicative behavior. In our recent research, we developed ways for many individuals with PMI to control sources of stimulation with adaptive switches and to indicate preferences about types of stimulation (e.g., music versus vibration). Some individuals also have learned how to choose between two concurrently available sources by refraining from closing the switch for one source and closing the switch for an alternative. These skills represent acquisition of a developmental cusp we refer to as contingency discrimination. We propose to demonstrate that individuals who acquire this cusp can learn another pair of contingencies: (a) refraining from closing the switch maintains contact with a highly preferred source of stimulation and (b) closing the switch brings assistance when the highly preferred source is momentarily unavailable. With single-subject behavior-analytic methods, we propose to find the individualized combinations of switch-closure requirements and calling modes (e.g., voice output communication aide, buzzer) that lead to reliable, contextually controlled signaling. Signal users will be tested for generalization to opportunities to signal for session initiation and to request that a low-preference source of stimulation be replaced with a high-preference source. The proposed research will merge innovative and traditional teaching methods to reveal a communication potential not previously thought possible with this population. With logistic regression analyses we will test several hypotheses regarding possible relations between participant variables and outcome success. The significance of the research is that it has the potential to demonstrate how even the most significantly impaired individuals can advance along the continuum of communication development as well as reveal who among them is most likely to succeed.