The Transition to School Among Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Children: Teacher and Parent Perspectives.

Although entry into the school system is a major milestone in the lives of young d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and their families, relatively little is known about parents' and teachers' experiences and perspectives of this important transition. The aims of this study were to describe parents' concerns during their children's transition from early intervention to school, to describe practices available for families of DHH children, and to explore parents' and teachers' perspectives regarding practices that support a smooth transition to school. Parents (N = 40) and teachers (N = 37) of the deaf and hard of hearing completed surveys examining their experiences and perspectives on DHH children's transition to school. Among concerns expressed among parents was their child's ability to participate successfully in an inclusive school setting, as well as the level of supports their child would receive. Teachers reported numerous policies and practices that supported the transition to school, emphasizing high-intensity practices often used to gather information about the child and set accommodations in place. Parent and teacher reports on facilitators for the transition are compared and contrasted. Recommendations for research and practice are provided.

Facing and Overcoming Academic Challenges: Perspectives From Deaf Latino/a First-Generation College Students.

The author examined the experiences of first-generation Latino/a college students who graduated from college and those who did not graduate. It was found that the first-generation deaf Latino/a college graduates in the study had similar experiences growing up, attending high school, and attending college to those of first-generation hearing Latino/a college students. These experiences related to parents' education levels, the linguistic environment at home, parent-school interactions, preparation for college, and stress related to minority status. Data from the participants' interviews revealed other variables that possibly contributed to their academic success in college. These variables included having the expectation that they would pursue higher education; establishing goals; taking advantage of support services; and possessing the personal characteristics of assertiveness and independence. The author also describes how the study participants faced and overcame the academic challenges common to first-generation Latino/a college students.

Public Library Programs and Accommodations for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in the United States†.

In today's public libraries, children's librarians are challenged to provide inclusive programming that welcomes all individuals, including deaf and hard-of-hearing children at risk for delayed reading and literacy development. This study, using quantitative survey data and qualitative interview methods, investigated the programs and accommodations public libraries provide for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, the impetus for providing these programs, and the training required. Nearly 500 public libraries in the United States with service areas greater than 100,000 patrons were invited to participate in an online survey. Fifty-nine librarians completed the survey and 11 participated in an additional telephone interview. Results indicated less than half of the libraries surveyed provided services for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Nearly all of the programs offered were inclusive; among the accommodations provided were books with sign language and sign language interpreters. Training was the most common limitation facing librarians in their role as community partners in the literacy development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Designated Interpreters: A Model to Promote the Diversity and Inclusion of Deaf Professionals in Academic Medicine.

PROBLEM: Deaf professionals who use American Sign Language (ASL) are a growing population in academic medicine. Reasonable accommodations for this group include providing an ASL interpreter. Many institutions contract with external agencies to provide ad hoc interpreters, but this model has hidden costs for deaf professionals and institutions. APPROACH: The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD) uses the designated interpreter model in which interpreters are on staff and embedded with deaf professionals so they can learn both the work environment and the deaf professionals' specialized science and medicine content. This model addresses many of the limitations of the external agency approach and better facilitates the inclusion of deaf professionals in the institution. OUTCOMES: This model has been in use at URSMD since 1990 but has seen exponential growth recently (increasing from 3 deaf professionals with designated interpreters in 2011 to a peak of 17 in 2016). Designated interpreters have worked in different research and clinical settings from dentistry and nursing to community and global health. This growth highlights the increasing number of deaf professionals in medicine and the need to train more designated interpreters. NEXT STEPS: In response to this growing demand, URSMD is developing an ASL Interpreting in Medicine and Science program, a master's degree-level program to train interpreters who are bilingual in ASL and English to be designated interpreters. The designated interpreter model is one step toward creating an environment that is fully inclusive of deaf professionals to the benefit of the whole institution.

Leadership Succession: Future-proofing Pipelines.

The challenges in deaf education illustrate the requirement and importance of leadership in this specialized field. The significant and impending talent depletion unfolding as baby-boomers retire, positions leadership succession planning as a strategic issue. This mixed methods study is the first of its kind in New Zealand. The aim is to understand leadership demographics and assumptions to determine the need for strategic succession planning to identify and address leaky pipelines. The findings from 82% of the deaf education workforce through a questionnaire and interviews with seven senior leaders reveal that senior leaders do not appear aware of four key areas that dissuade and shrink the pool of potential leadership aspirants. The four areas are prioritizing family; safeguarding health; concerns about bureaucracy, paperwork, and workload; and, a reluctance to move away from teaching. Aspirant identification appears informal, as there is no formal succession plan in place, which suggests a leadership crisis is imminent in New Zealand deaf education provision. Recommendations are provided that may help address this situation in New Zealand and other first-world nations if sufficient leaders are in place to deal with the challenges facing deaf education today and in the future.

Altering Practices to Include Bimodal-bilingual (ASL-Spoken English) Programming at a Small School for the Deaf in Canada.

Bimodal-bilingual programs are emerging as one way to meet broader needs and provide expanded language, educational and social-emotional opportunities for students who are deaf and hard of hearing (Marschark, M., Tang, G. & Knoors, H. (Eds). (2014). Bilingualism and bilingual Deaf education. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; Paludneviciene & Harris, R. (2011). Impact of cochlear implants on the deaf community. In Paludneviciene, R. & Leigh, I. (Eds.), Cochlear implants evolving perspectives (pp. 3-19). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press). However, there is limited research on students' spoken language development, signed language growth, academic outcomes or the social-emotional factors associated with these programs (Marschark, M., Tang, G. & Knoors, H. (Eds). (2014). Bilingualism and bilingual Deaf education. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; Nussbaum, D & Scott, S. (2011). The cochlear implant education center: Perspectives on effective educational practices. In Paludneviciene, R. & Leigh, I. (Eds.) Cochlear implants evolving perspectives (pp. 175-205). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. The cochlear implant education center: Perspectives on effective educational practices. In Paludnevicience & Leigh (Eds). Cochlear implants evolving perspectives (pp. 175-205). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press; Spencer, P. & Marschark, M. (Eds.) (2010). Evidence-based practice in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing students. New York, NY: Oxford University Press). The purpose of this case study was to look at formal and informal student outcomes as well as staff and parent perceptions during the first 3 years of implementing a bimodal-bilingual (ASL and spoken English) program within an ASL milieu at a small school for the deaf. Speech and language assessment results for five students were analyzed over a 3-year period and indicated that the students made significant positive gains in all areas, although results were variable. Staff and parent survey responses indicated primarily positive perceptions of the program. Some staff identified ongoing challenges with balancing signed and spoken language use. Many parents responded with strong emotions, some stating that the program was "life-changing" for their children/families.

School Psychological Evaluation Reports for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children: Best Practices.

This article discusses the best practices for school psychological evaluation and reports for parents and professionals who work with deaf and hard of hearing children. Deaf and hard of hearing children present unique challenges and for parents to be strong advocates for their children, knowledge about the complexities of psychological assessments is important. Parents are also provided with best practices for psychological reports with descriptions for typical areas of reports and how each is different for deaf and hard of hearing children.

The Transition From Early Intervention to School for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Administrator Perspectives.

Although the transition from early intervention (EI) to school is a significant milestone in the lives of young children, little research to date has investigated this transition among children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The aims of this study were to investigate the organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines that facilitate or hinder the transition from the EI system to the school system for children who are D/HH from the perspective of program administrators. Using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique methodology, 146 incidents were extracted from 10 interviews and sorted into 10 helping, 9 hindering, and 5 wish list categories. Findings are consistent with the Ecological and Dynamic Model of Transition (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000), which conceptualizes the transition to school as being influenced by the pattern of interactions between the individuals, groups, and institutions connected to the child.

It takes two: the role of family-centered practices in communication intervention / Se necesitan 2: el papel de las prácticas centradas en la familia en intervención de la comunicación

Based on an ever-growing body of research, family-centered practices are a recommended, evidence-based principle of early childhood intervention provided by speech-language pathologists and audiologists, as well as by all other disciplines involved in providing supports and services to young children with delays and disabilities and their families. Despite this, research also suggests that (1) the concept of family-centered practices is often misunderstood, and (2) a gap continues to exist between recommended and the actual use of family-centered practices across all disciplines. In this article, we describe the evidence behind family-centered practices, how and why family-centered practices have become a key aspect of evidence-based early childhood communication intervention, and the defining characteristics and components of family-centered practices. In order to accomplish this goal the authors did an extensive research review of the literature. As a result of findings from the studies revised, the role of the SLP in early childhood intervention is calling for a shift from direct work with an individual child to teaching, supporting, and building the capacity of the child's communication partners, with the ultimate goal of the child becoming more successful in how he/she participates and communicates in interactions and routines throughout the day and within natural contexts. These recommendations have been incorporated by important scientific and professional organizations such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in their guidelines for providing early evidence-based communication intervention. Concluding we underlined the importance of viewing family centered practices as a capacity-building endeavor required for quality EI practices (AU)

Apoyadas en un cuerpo cada vez mayor de investigación, las prácticas centradas en la familia y basadas en la evidencia constituyen un principio de intervención recomendado para la logopedia y audiología y otras disciplinas que intervienen proporcionando apoyos y servicios a niños con retrasos y discapacidad y a sus familias. Sin embargo, la investigación sugiere que 1) el concepto de prácticas centradas en la familia es a menudo mal entendido, y 2) continúa existiendo un desfase entre las recomendaciones y el uso real de las prácticas centradas en la familia en todas las disciplinas. En este artículo se describe la evidencia detrás de las prácticas centradas en la familia, cómo y por qué estas prácticas se han convertido en un aspecto clave para la intervención en la comunicación en la primera infancia, y las características que la definen y componen. Con el fin de lograr este objetivo los autores hicieron una extensa revisión de la literatura. Como resultado de los hallazgos de los estudios revisados se está pidiendo un cambio en el papel de los logopedas de atención temprana, que va desde un trabajo directo con un niño a la enseñanza, apoyo y fortalecimiento de la capacidad de comunicación de los padres, con el objetivo final de que el niño tenga cada vez más éxito en la forma en que él/ella participa y se comunica en las interacciones y las rutinas durante el día y en los contextos naturales. Estas recomendaciones han sido incorporadas por las organizaciones científicas y profesionales más importantes, tales como la Asociación Americana de Habla, Lenguaje y Audición, quien las incluye en sus guías para proporcionar intervención temprana basada en la evidencia en la comunicación. Para concluir, se ha subrayado la importancia de considerar las prácticas centradas en la familia como un esfuerzo de construcción de capacidades requerido para una práctica de intervención temprana de calidad (AU)

Itinerant Teachers' Perspectives of Using Collaborative Practices in Serving Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

In a qualitative study conducted in the southern United States, the researchers explored the perceptions of seven itinerant teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing regarding the formation and maintenance of collaborative relationships during consultation services the teachers provide to general educators. The researchers used the theoretical construct of collaboration proposed by Friend and Cook (1990, 2007) in the analysis of interviews. It was found that itinerants employed elements of collaboration as outlined by Friend and Cook and that these teachers regarded these collaborative relationships as essential to fulfilling their consultative responsibilities. However, as the itinerant teachers strived to establish and maintain collaborative relationships, they faced barriers related to time constraints, insufficient administrative support, and variable perceptions of the necessity of collaborating with general educators.

Social and Emotional Learning and the Work of Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The study investigated how social and emotional learning (SEL) is reflected in the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of itinerant teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing (ITDHHs). A mixed-methods approach was taken to survey 53 ITDHHs about their comfort with teaching SEL, commitment to ongoing professional development in SEL skills, and perceptions of SEL in school cultures. Follow-up interviews with 11 ITDHHs provided a deeper perspective on how these teachers prioritize and teach SEL skills within their unique teaching role. Overall, the findings revealed that ITDHHs overwhelmingly recognized the need to provide SEL support to their students, and very often provided direct teaching of SEL skills. However, they did not necessarily feel adequately prepared, nor supported by their schools, in terms of teaching SEL. Implications of the findings for professional preparation and practice are discussed.

[Organization of pedagogical rehabilitation for the children with a cochlear implant].

The objective of the present study was to characterize the peculiarities oforganization of pedagogical rehabilitation for the children with a cochlear implant and to demonstrate the most effective forms of their upbringing and education. Special attention is given to the organization ofsuch work during the preschool period with reference to potential difficulties encountered in the education of the children suffering a delay in the speech development.

The influence of cochlear implants on behaviour problems in deaf children / La influencia del implante coclear en los problemas de conducta de los niños sordos

BACKGROUND: This study seeks to analyse the relationship between behaviour problems in deaf children and their auditory and communication development subsequent to cochlear implantation and to examine the incidence of these problems in comparison to their hearing peers. METHOD: This study uses an ex post facto prospective design with a sample of 208 Spanish children, of whom 104 were deaf subjects with cochlear implants. The first objective assesses the relationships between behaviour problems, auditory integration, and social and communication skills in the group of deaf children. The second compares the frequency and intensity of behaviour problems of the group of deaf children with their hearing peers. RESULTS: The correlation analysis showed a significant association between the internal index of behaviour problems and auditory integration and communication skills, such that deaf children with greater auditory and communication development had no behaviour problems. When comparing behaviour problems in deaf children versus their hearing peers, behavioural disturbances are significantly more frequent in the former. CONCLUSIONS: According to these findings, cochlear implants may not guarantee adequate auditory and communicative development that would normalise the behaviour of deaf children

ANTECEDENTES: resulta importante la relación entre los problemas de conducta y el desarrollo auditivo posterior al implante coclear en niños sordos y la frecuencia de estos problemas respecto a los oyentes. MÉTODO: se trata de un diseño ex post facto prospectivo de 208 niños, de los cuales 104 eran sordos implantados. En primer lugar se evaluó la relación entre los problemas de comportamiento y la integración auditiva, habilidades sociales y de comunicación en el grupo de sordos. En segundo se comparó la frecuencia e intensidad de estos problemas de los sordos respecto a los oyentes. RESULTADOS: se aprecia relación entre el índice interno de los problemas de comportamiento y las habilidades de integración y comunicación auditivas. De tal manera que los niños sordos con mayor desarrollo auditivo y de la comunicación no presentaron problemas de comportamiento. Al comparar los problemas de conducta en los niños sordos con sus compañeros oyentes, las alteraciones del comportamiento son significativamente más frecuentes en los primeros. CONCLUSIONES: es posible que los implantes cocleares no garanticen un desarrollo auditivo y de la comunicación suficiente para normalizar el comportamiento de los niños sordos

Análisis de la actuación docente del maestro de audición y lenguaje en Almería / Analysis of the educational performance of speech and hearing teachers in Almeria

Habiendo transcurrido 20 años de andadura y desarrollo profesional desde el surgimiento del maestro de audición y lenguaje itinerante, parece conveniente reflexionar sobre el papel que ha venido desempeñando esta figura con objeto de aprehender las consideraciones oportunas que mejoren los planteamientos a adoptar de cara a promover la calidad de su actuación educativa. Por otra parte, nos encontramos inmersos en la actualidad en un proceso de reforma universitaria que afectará al conjunto de los roles profesionales de los docentes del siglo XXI , siendo necesario realizar aportaciones que delimiten y refuercen el ámbito de la atención a la diversidad en la formación inicial de los maestros al desaparecer las especialidades universitarias que se encargaban de dicha actuación. Con este estudio se pretende contribuir a la comprensión de la realidad de la acción educativa de estos profesionales realizando un recorrido por los contenidos y objetivos de su actuación educativa y la relación que los mismos guardan con el currículo de las áreas establecidas a lo largo de la etapa (AU)

The figure of the itinerant speech and hearing teacher emerged 20 years ago. Given the career and professional development since that time, it seems appropriate to reflect on the role of these teachers in order to improve the quality of their educational performance. In addition, a process of university reform is currently underway, which will influence the professional roles of teachers in the 21st century. Consequently, contributions are required to define and reinforce attention to diversity in initial teacher training, since specialized university courses on this topic have disappeared. This study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the reality of the educational performance of these teachers. To do this, the present investigation will revise the contents and aims of their educational performance, focussing on their relationship with the curriculum of the different areas established through the stages (AU)

Desarrollo del vocabulario temprano en niños con implante coclear escolarizados en centros con bilingüismo oral-signado / Early vocabulary development in deaf children with cochlear implants educated in bilingual oral-sign language schools

Contamos con un buen número de investigaciones que estudian el desarrollo del lenguaje en niños sordos con implantes cocleares educados en contextos orales, pero es reducido el corpus de trabajos que investiga el desarrollo de estos niños cuando están educados en contextos bilingües. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo medir el desarrollo del vocabulario de 14 niños sordos con edades cronológicas de 17-62 meses y edades auditivas de 6-37 meses que aprenden lengua castellana y lengua de signos española. Los niños sordos y sus iguales oyentes comparten aulas en las que están presentes ambas lenguas como herramienta educativa y de aprendizaje. Para medir las 2 lenguas, los niños fueron evaluados utilizando el Inventario de Desarrollo Comunicativo MacArthur-Bates español y un Inventario no estandarizado del vocabulario de lengua de signos española. Los resultados de las evaluaciones indican que todos menos 2 de los niños sordos presentan una producción del lenguaje oral dentro o por encima de los rangos normales en comparación con la edad auditiva o el tiempo transcurrido desde la activación del implante coclear. Al comparar el vocabulario en 2 periodos de tiempo encontramos que la producción en ambas lenguas mejoró significativamente. Los niños usan más lengua de signos que lengua oral en la primera evaluación, pero esta tendencia se invierte en el segundo periodo. Al hallar el vocabulario compuesto o conceptual, obtenemos que los niños tienen un número total de términos léxicos mayor que el que presentan en cada una de las lenguas por separado (AU)

Several previous studies of language development in deaf children with cochlear implants educated in oral schools have been reported but there are very few such investigations of deaf children simultaneously exposed to sign and spoken language during development. The present study aimed to measure vocabulary development in 14 deaf children with chronological ages of 17-62 months and hearing ages of 6-37 months who were learning spoken Spanish and Spanish sign language. The deaf children were included in classroom groups with other hearing classmates, where all children were exposed to native models of both languages. To measure both languages, the children were evaluated using the Spanish MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory and a non-standardized test of Spanish early sign language vocabulary. The results of the evaluations indicated that all but two of the deaf children had spoken language production within normal ranges in relation to auditory age or length of time since cochlear implantation. When comparing vocabulary over two time periods, we found that both Spanish sign language and Spanish spoken production significantly improved over both periods. Children used more sign language than spoken language in the first assessment but this trend was reversed in the second time period. When all vocabulary was combined in spoken Spanish and Spanish sign language, the children had a larger set of semantic concepts in the combined bilingual lexicon than in each language taken separately (AU)

LEAPing on with language: An on-line language programme to support classroom teachers and parents of primary school children (aged 5-11 years).

The Leaping on with Language programme provides a combination of strategies and activities to accelerate children's spoken language use from simple sentences to complex language. Using a conversational philosophy it expands the building blocks of language (vocabulary, grammar, speech), whilst emphasising the importance of developing independent social communication and acknowledging a child's developing self esteem and self identity between the ages of 4-11. Three pilot projects evaluated the programme with a total of 51 delegates. The outcomes were hugely positive. Changes in behaviour were reported from the 3rd pilot 1 month later. Comments regarding the length of training, practical strategies and more film clips were implemented. Leaping on with language is now a free to access resource available on line.

Inclusion in postsecondary institutions with small numbers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students: highlights and challenges.

This paper provides an examination of how small populations of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students attending New Zealand postsecondary institutions faced and dealt with various challenges in participating in classes, obtaining adequate access to services, and becoming socially integrated into campus life. Sixty-four students completed a survey and 8 were interviewed, providing information about their support needs, learning, and social participation experiences and challenges within the postsecondary context. Findings indicated that access to accommodations that facilitated communication and inclusion were critically important to their learning and participation experiences but were not always available in the institutions they attended. Reflecting recent policy and legislative changes, greater awareness and greater funding support are needed within New Zealand postsecondary institutions of DHH students' academic and social needs. This process should be at the forefront of moves toward inclusive education at the postsecondary level, if DHH students are to be equal participants.

Grammar structures and deaf and hard of hearing students: a review of past performance and a report of new findings.

Results of a study are presented that suggest the grammatical structures of English some deaf and hard of hearing students struggle to acquire. A review of the literature from the past 40 years is presented, exploring particular lexical and morphosyntactic areas in which deaf and hard of hearing children have traditionally exhibited difficulty. Twenty-six participants from an urban day school for the deaf used the LanguageLinks software, produced by Laureate Learning Systems, for 10 minutes daily for 9 weeks. The descriptive analysis of the results expands on findings reported by Cannon, Easterbrooks, Gagne, and Beal-Alvarez (2011). The results indicated that many participants struggled with regular noun singular/plural; accusative first- and second-person singular; noun/verb agreement copular "be"; accusative third-person number/ gender; locative pronominals; auxiliary "be"/regular past "-ed;" and prenominal determiners plural.

The effectiveness of a phonics-based early intervention for deaf and hard of hearing preschool children and its possible impact on reading skills in elementary school: a case study.

The study explored the effects of a phonics-based early intervention package on the early reading skills of three preschool students who were d/Deaf or hard of hearing who differed in regard to degree of hearing loss, use of amplification, and communication mode. The 40-week intervention (50-week in one case) was delivered through individual and group phonics-based instruction supplemented by Visual Phonics in a language-enriched preschool classroom. Standardized assessments were conducted before, during, and after the intervention. Along with some additional assessments, the same assessments were conducted in early elementary school. The results showed that all participants demonstrated at least some use of phonemic awareness and phonics skills when they were explicitly trained, and that these skills were sustained in early elementary school. Furthermore, all participants exhibited overall reading levels at or above age level when measured in early elementary school.

Diseño, desarrollo y evaluación de un sistema Brain Computer Interface (BCI) aplicado al control de dispositivos domóticos para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con grave discapacidad / Design, development and assessment of a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system applied to control domotic and electronic devices in order to improve the quality of life of people with severe disabilities

Objetivo: El objetivo del presente trabajo consiste en diseñar, desarrollar y validar una aplicación de control domótico a partir de la señal de electroencefalograma (EEG) empleando un sistema Brain Computer Interface (BCI) basado en potenciales P300 para incrementar la autonomía de las personas dependientes en el hogar. Material y métodos: Se ha implementado una aplicación domótica a partir de un sistema BCI basado en potenciales evocados P300 empleando la señal EEG del usuario. El sistema se aplicó a nueve usuarios con grave discapacidad, procedentes del Centro de Referencia Estatal (CRE) de Discapacidad y Dependencia de León. Resultados: La mayoría de los usuarios fueron capaces de controlar la aplicación con una precisión superior al 65%. Tres de ellos, incluso, superaron el 85%. Estos resultados son notablemente mejores que los obtenidos mediante un sistema BCI basado en ritmos sensoriomotores. Conclusiones: Los sistemas basados en P300 no necesitan etapa de entrenamiento ni un alto nivel de atención sostenida. Por ello, la mayoría de los usuarios consiguieron un buen control de la aplicación propuesta que permite controlar dispositivos del hogar, aumentando así su independencia y calidad de vida (AU)

Objective: The aim of this study is to design, develop and assess an application for automatic control through the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal using a P300 evoked potentials-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system, in order to increase the autonomy of dependent people at home. Material and methods: An application for automatic control, by means the user’s EEG signal, through a P300- based BCI system was developed. The system was applied to nine subjects, users of the National Reference Center on Disability and Dependence from León (Spain). Results: Most of the subjects could control the application with an accuracy of 65% and upward. Three of them achieved even more than 85%. These results are significantly higher than the results achieved using a motor imagery-based BCI. Conclusions: P300-based systems require neither a training period nor an extremely high level of attention. Due to this reason, most of users were able to control suitably the developed application, which allows them to control devices at home, improving their independence and quality of life (AU)