Self-Regulated Versus Staff-Regulated Stimulation for Promoting Indices of Satisfaction in Persons with Severe/Profound and Multiple Disabilities

This study aimed to extend the assessment of two of those strategies (i.e., self-regulated and staff-regulated stimulation strategies) with 12 participants who were exposed to each strategy. During intervention sessions with self-regulated stimulation, the participants sat at a desk and received stimulation if they pushed a panel in front of them thus activating a smartphone ’s proximity sensor. During intervention sessions with staff-regulated stimulation, they sat at a desk and received stimulation independent of any response. All participants showed increases in indices of satisfaction with self-regulated stimulation. Nine of them also showed such increases with st aff-regulated stimulation. The participants’ level of satisfaction during self-regulated stimulation sessions was frequently higher than that observed during staff-regulated stimulation sessions. Staff personnel interviewed about the two strategies provided higher scores for self-regulated stimula tion. The self-regulated stimulation strategy may be considered preferable to the staff-regulated stimulation strategy because of its impact on participants’ satisfaction and active responding.

Source: Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities - March 8, 2020 Category: Disability Source Type: research