Micro-switch programmes for students with multiple disabilities and minimal motor behaviour: assessing response acquisition and choice.

This study assessed (a) whether three girls with multiple disabilities and minimal motor behaviour could acquire pairs of responses taught through micro-switch-based programmes and (b) how the girls would eventually choose between those responses. In relation to the choice issue, a response-choice analysis was conducted to find out whether possible differences in performance rates for the two responses were due to the stimuli linked to them and/or to potential response preferences. Results indicated that all three girls succeeded in the acquisition of the two responses programmed for them and showed clear response choices. The choices seemed to be largely motivated by the stimuli linked to the responses. Implications of these findings were discussed, including the need to assess their generality and extend the scope of the work in this area.

[A radiological study of movements of the normal lumbar spine (author's transl)]. / Etude radiologique de la mobilité du rachis dorso-lombaire.

Twenty normal individuals have been studied using 6 radiological views. They included 8 men and 12 women (6 of them classical dancers). In flexion and extension the 5th lumbar is the most mobile vertebra. All vertebrae from T10 to L5 participate in this movement. The flexion decreases from the first vertebra to the uppermost vertebra. In lateral bending, L3 was generally the most mobile and L5 the most immobile. Contrary to previous studies, it was shown that movement in flexion (75 p. cent) was greater than movement in extension (25 p. cent).