Modified and Standard Touch Screen Technology to Help People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Access Leisure Events and Complete Match-to-Sample Tasks: A Case Series Study

While touch screen technology is largely available, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities might have difficulties using it due to erratic touch responses. This study included six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who were managing touch screen technology modified via an input adaptation module. Such a module allowed them to activate the screen and access leisure events and complete match-to-sample tasks with various response configurations (e.g., precise clicks, heavy/prolonged touch, and taps). The first question of the study was whether successful history with the modified technology would facilitate the participants’ use of standard touch screen technology. A second (subordinate) question was whether practice with standard touch screen technology would improve their use of it. To address these questions, the participants were presented with series of sessions with standard technology in alternation with series of sessions with the modified technology. The results showed that the participants were highly successful with the modified technology and partially (or minimally) successful with the standard technology. Only three of them seemed to improve their performance with the standard technology following practice. In conclusion, the modified touch screen technology was consistently effective in helping participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities who continued to have difficulties in using standard touch screen technology.