RESUMO
BACKGROUND: People with blindness and intellectual disability can have problems locating, identifying, and retrieving objects needed for daily activities (e.g., clothes and food items) from familiar storage contexts, such as cupboards and cabinets. OBJECTIVE: This preliminary study assessed a technological system designed to help three people with those problems improve their performance. METHODS: The technological system, which involved the use of tags with radio frequency identification codes, a smartphone, and a tag reader, aimed to guide the participants in searching and retrieving objects from three different storage units. In practice, the system provided different feedbacks depending on whether the participants were searching (a) in a wrong storage unit, (b) in a wrong shelf/drawer of the right storage unit, or (c) in the right shelf/drawer of the right storage unit. RESULTS: All participants were successful in retrieving objects correctly with the technological system. The results also showed that (a) the participants preferred using the system over a control strategy, (b) were able to switch on and off the system independently, and (b) staff rated the system positively. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that the system might be a useful support tool for people with blindness and intellectual disability.
Assuntos
Cegueira , Deficiência Intelectual , Tecnologia Assistiva , Humanos , Cegueira/reabilitação , Masculino , Adulto , Feminino , Smartphone , Dispositivo de Identificação por Radiofrequência/métodos , Estudo de Prova de ConceitoRESUMO
Response-contingent stimulation is a behavioral strategy used to improve the situation of patients with disorders of consciousness. Such strategy involves the presentation of brief periods (e.g., 10 to 15 s) of stimulation considered preferred by the patients, contingent on (immediately after) the emission of specific patients' responses. The aim is to help the patients learn the link between their responding and the preferred stimulation and thus learn to use their responding to access the stimulation in a self-determined/independent manner. Achieving these goals is considered important for the patients' recovery process and thus the response-contingent stimulation strategy that promotes such an achievement can be considered a valuable treatment approach. The same strategy combined with the use of periods of non-contingent stimulation (i.e., stimulation delivered independent of responding) may also serve as an assessment supplement with patients with apparent unresponsive wakefulness. The patients' increase in responding during the response-contingent stimulation and decline in responding during the non-contingent stimulation could be taken as a sign of discrimination between conditions, and possibly a sign of awareness of the immediate environmental situation, compatible with a diagnosis of minimally conscious state. This paper analyzes a number of studies aimed at using the response-contingent stimulation as a treatment strategy and a number of studies aimed at combining response-contingent stimulation with non-contingent stimulation for treatment and assessment purposes. The results of the studies are discussed in terms of the effectiveness, accessibility and affordability of the strategy. The need for new research (i.e., replication studies) is also pointed out.
Assuntos
Estado de Consciência , Vigília , Humanos , Aprendizagem , Suplementos NutricionaisRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess a simple technology solution to support basic communication and leisure in people with neurological disorders, extensive motor impairment, and absence of speech. DESIGN: The design was a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants. METHODS: The study included eight participants and assessed a technology setup including a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 LTE tablet and a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone. The smartphone, automated via MacroDroid, presented the participant with leisure, messages, and caregiver options. Choosing leisure or messages (by activating the smartphone's proximity sensor) led the smartphone to present the alternatives available for that option and eventually verbalize the alternative selected. This verbalization triggered the tablet's Google Assistant and led the tablet to present a leisure event or start a message exchange. Choosing the caregiver led the smartphone to invite the caregiver to interact with the participant. RESULTS: During baseline (i.e., when a standard smartphone was available), the participants did not activate any of the options. During intervention and post-intervention (i.e., with the technology described above), participants activated all options and spent most of the session time positively engaged with them. CONCLUSIONS: The aforementioned technology seems to be a useful tool for individuals like those involved in this study.
Assuntos
Auxiliares de Comunicação para Pessoas com Deficiência , Pessoas com Deficiência , Transtornos Motores , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso , Comunicação , Humanos , Atividades de Lazer , Smartphone , Fala , TecnologiaRESUMO
This study assessed a technology-aided program (monitoring responding, and ensuring preferred stimulation and encouragements) for promoting physical activity with 11 participants with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Each participant was provided with an exercise device (e.g. a static bicycle and a stepper) and exposed to the program according to an ABAB design, in which A and B represented baseline and intervention phases, respectively. Data recording concerned (a) the participants' responses with the exercise device (e.g. pedaling) during baseline and intervention phases and (b) their heart rates during the last intervention phase. The results showed that all participants had significant increases in responding with the exercise devices during the intervention phases. Heart-rate values during the intervention sessions indicated that the participants' responding during those sessions mostly amounted to moderate-intensity physical activity, with potential benefits for their overall physical condition. Implications of the findings and questions for future research in the area were discussed.
Assuntos
Pessoas com Deficiência/reabilitação , Terapia por Exercício/instrumentação , Terapia por Exercício/métodos , Exercício Físico , Promoção da Saúde/métodos , Deficiência Intelectual/reabilitação , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Terapia Assistida por ComputadorRESUMO
BACKGROUND: People with intellectual and sensory or sensory-motor disabilities tend to have problems performing multistep tasks. To alleviate their problems, technological solutions have been developed that provide task-step instructions. Instructions are generally delivered at people's request (eg, as they touch an area of a computer or tablet screen) or automatically, at preset intervals. OBJECTIVE: This study carried out a preliminary assessment of a new tablet-based technology system that presented task-step instructions when participants with intellectual and sensory disabilities walked close to the tablet (ie, did not require participants to perform fine motor responses on the tablet screen). METHODS: The system entailed a tablet and a wireless camera and was programmed to present instructions when participants approached the tablet, that is, when the camera positioned in front of the tablet detected them. Two instructions were available for each task step. One instruction concerned the object(s) that the participants were to collect, and the other instruction concerned the "where" and "how" the object(s) collected would need to be used. For 3 of the six participants, the two instructions were presented in succession, with the second instruction presented once the required object(s) had been collected. For the other 3 participants, the two instructions were presented simultaneously. Instructions consisted of pictorial representations combined with brief verbal phrases. The impact of the system was assessed for each of the 2 groups of participants using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across individuals. RESULTS: All participants were successful in using the system. Their mean frequency of correct task steps was close to or above 11.5 for tasks including 12 steps. Their level of correct performance tended to be much lower during the baseline phase when they were to receive the task-step instructions from a regular tablet through scrolling responses. CONCLUSIONS: The findings, which need to be interpreted with caution given the preliminary nature of the study, suggest that the new tablet-based technology system might be useful for helping people with intellectual and sensory disabilities perform multistep tasks.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: People with motor, visual, and intellectual disabilities may have serious problems in independently accessing various forms of functional daily occupation and communication. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed at developing and assessing new, low-cost technology-aided programs to help people with motor or visual-motor and intellectual disabilities independently engage in functional forms of occupation and communication with distant partners. METHODS: Two programs were set up using a smartphone interfaced with a 2-switch device and a tablet interfaced with 2 pressure sensors, respectively. Single-subject research designs were used to assess (1) the first program with 2 participants who were blind, had moderate hand control, and were interested in communicating with distant partners through voice messages; and (2) the second program with 2 participants who possessed functional vision, had no or poor hand control, and were interested in communicating with their partners through video calls. Both programs also supported 2 forms of occupational engagement, that is, choosing and accessing preferred leisure events consisting of songs and music videos, and listening to brief stories about relevant daily topics and answering questions related to those stories. RESULTS: During the baseline phase (when only a conventional smartphone or tablet was available), 2 participants managed sporadic access to leisure or leisure and communication events. The other 2 participants did not show any independent leisure or communication engagement. During the intervention (when the technology-aided programs were used), all participants managed to independently engage in multiple leisure and communication events throughout the sessions and to listen to stories and answer story-related questions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings, which need to be interpreted with caution given the nature of the study and the small number of participants, seem to suggest that the new programs may be viable tools for helping people with motor or visual-motor and intellectual disabilities independently access leisure, communication, and other forms of functional engagement.
RESUMO
Objective: This study aimed to help six participants with intellectual disability combined with sensory and motor impairments to make verbal requests through the use of a technology system involving cardboard chips and a smartphone. Method: The participants were divided into two groups of three based on whether they did or did not have visual skills. Each group was exposed to the intervention with the technology system according to a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. During the 20â min intervention sessions, the participants were provided with a smartphone and nine cardboard chips each of which had a picture or object (i.e., a mini object replica or raised object contour) and several radio frequency identification tags attached to it. To make a request, the participants were to bring a cardboard chip in contact with the smartphone. This read the tags attached to the cardboard and verbalized the request related to that cardboard. Results: During the baseline (without cardboard chips and smartphone), the participants' mean frequency of independent requests (all non-verbal requests) varied between zero and near 1.5 per session. During the intervention (with cardboard chips and smartphone), the participants' mean frequency of independent requests (all verbal requests) varied between over 4.5 and about 10 per session. Conclusion: The results suggest that the system might be useful to help participants like the ones included in this study to make verbal requests with simple responses.
RESUMO
We assessed a simple smartphone-aided program to help three participants with severe neuro-motor and speech disabilities access preferred songs, call or send messages to distant partners, and call the caregiver. The program relied on the use of a smartphone, five cards with identification tags, and a mini speaker. The participants could select one of the cards (engagement options) by touching it with the smartphone. Using the program, all participants managed to access songs, reach partners, and call the caregiver independently and engaged in the related forms of leisure and communication/interaction throughout the 10-min sessions available. The results suggest that the program might be a valuable aid for people with severe neuro-motor and speech disabilities.
Assuntos
Auxiliares de Comunicação para Pessoas com Deficiência , Pessoas com Deficiência , Humanos , Smartphone , Fala , ComunicaçãoRESUMO
People with mild to moderate intellectual or multiple disabilities may have serious difficulties in accessing leisure events, managing communication exchanges with distant partners, and performing functional daily activities. Recently, efforts were made to develop and assess technology-aided programs aimed at supporting people in all three areas (i.e., leisure, communication, and daily activities). This study assessed a new technology-aided program aimed at helping four participants with intellectual and multiple disabilities in the aforementioned areas. The program, which was implemented following a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design, relied on the use of a smartphone or tablet connected via Bluetooth to a two-switch device. This device served to select leisure and communication events and to control the smartphone or tablet's delivery of step instructions for the activities scheduled. Data showed that during the baseline phase (with only the smartphone or tablet available), three participants failed in each of the areas (i.e., leisure, communication and functional activities) while one participant managed to access a few leisure events. During the intervention phase (with the support of the technology-aided program), all participants managed to independently access leisure events, make telephone calls, and carry out activities. These results suggest that the program might be a useful tool for helping people with intellectual and multiple disabilities improve their condition in basic areas of daily life.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: People with intellectual and multiple disabilities tend to engage in very low levels of physical activity. OBJECTIVE: This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive picture of intervention programs using stimulation-regulating technologies to promote forms of physical activity in people with intellectual and multiple disabilities. METHODS: Following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist, a scoping review was conducted to identify and provide a synthesis of eligible studies published in English between 2010 and 2021. Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, and CINAHL as well as by using Google Scholar and manual searches. Studies were included if they involved individuals with intellectual or multiple disabilities, used stimulation-regulating technology systems to help participants engage in physical activity, and reported data on the impact of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were divided into 2 groups based on whether they pursued the increase in physical activity through technology-aided delivery of brief periods of preferred stimulation contingent on specific responses or the use of video games (exergames) and related auditory and visual stimulation. Subsequently, a narrative synthesis of the studies was provided. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence reported by the 2 groups of studies is encouraging. However, further research is needed to compare the overall applicability and impact of the intervention strategies proposed by these groups of studies.
RESUMO
Objectives: This study assessed whether a simple technology-aided program (i.e., a program involving the use of microswitches linked to a smartphone) could be set up to enable people with motor, sensory and intellectual disabilities to control preferred environmental stimulation through two different response movements. Methods: Ten participants were involved in the study. Each of them was exposed to an ABAB design, in which A represented baseline phases without the program and B intervention phases with the use of the program. The study assessed whether the participants (a) had significant increases of each of the two response movements available and/or showed response variability across sessions and over time and (b) had signs of satisfaction/happiness during the study sessions, in connection with their stimulation access and control. Results: The program was effective in increasing the participants' responding and consequently their self-regulated stimulation input. Half of the participants showed a significant increase of both responses available from the first intervention phase. Other participants seemed to focus more on one of the two responses. Even so, they tended to have occasionally high performance frequencies also with regard to their non-dominant (not significantly increased) response. Finally, all participants showed clear signs of satisfaction/happiness during the intervention sessions. Conclusions: The program represents a potentially useful approach for enabling people with extensive multiple disabilities to self-regulate their access to preferred environmental stimulation and improve their mood.
RESUMO
Objectives: The present study evaluated a new smartphone-based program to help 12 participants with intellectual disability plus visual and motor impairments to self-regulate their stimulation input (thus avoiding their dependence on staff) through simple non-verbal responses. Method: Nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs across participants were used to assess the effects of the program. The technology used for the program involved a Samsung J4 Plus smartphone with Android 9.0 operating system, two voice recording devices, smart-plugs, and a mini speaker. The smartphone was provided with a Google account and Internet connection, which allowed the participants to access Google Assistant and Google Play Music. The participants could make requests for two different types of stimulation (e.g. songs and familiar voices or noises) by activating via hand pressure the two voice recording devices. The verbal request messages emitted by the devices were recognized by the Google Assistant, which led the smartphone to deliver the related stimulation. Results: During the baseline sessions (without the support of the voice recording devices), the participants failed to access any stimulation. During the intervention and post-intervention phases (with the support of the voice recording devices), all participants managed to access the types of stimulation available independently. The mean frequency of responses (i.e. activations of both voice recording devices) per session ranged between about 8 and 14. Conclusion: The new smartphone-based program can be viewed as a useful resource to enable individuals like the participants of this study to access preferred stimulation independently.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The study assessed a smartphone-based technology system, which was designed to enable six participants with intellectual disability and sensory impairment to start and carry out functional activities through the use of reminders and verbal or pictorial instructions. METHODS: The technology system involved a Samsung Galaxy A22 with Android 11 operating system and four Philips Hue indoor motion sensors. Three to five activities were scheduled per day. At the time at which an activity was due, the system provided the participant with a reminder followed by the verbal or pictorial instruction for the initial part of the first response (e.g., "Go to the bathroom and take the dirty towels"). The instruction would be available (repeated) until the participant responded to it and, in so doing, activated a sensor. Sensor activation caused the presentation of the instruction for the second part of the same (first) response (e.g., "Put the towels in the laundry machine"). The same process occurred for each of the responses involved in the activity. The system was introduced according to nonconcurrent multiple baseline designs across participants. RESULTS: During baseline, the mean percentage of activities the participants started independently was below 7; the mean frequency of correct responses per activity was below 0.5 (out of a maximum possible of 8). During the intervention (i.e., with the support of the technology system), the mean percentage and mean frequency values increased to nearly 100 and 8, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the aforementioned technology system may enable people with intellectual disability and sensory impairment to start and carry out functional activities independent of staff.
Assuntos
Surdez , Pessoas com Deficiência , Deficiência Intelectual , Humanos , Smartphone , TecnologiaRESUMO
PURPOSE: This study assessed everyday technology to help eight participants with intellectual and sensory-motor disabilities access stimulation via functional arm/hand responses and improved body posture. METHODS: An ABABB1BB1 design was used for each participant, with A representing baseline phases, B intervention phases in which arm/hand responses led to a 12-s stimulation, and B1 intervention phases in which the stimulation for arm/hand responses was conditional on an improved/correct torso and head posture. The technology involved a Samsung Galaxy A10 smartphone fitted with Google Assistant and MacroDroid, a mini voice-recording device, and a portable mini voice amplifier. RESULTS: All participants had a large increase in arm/hand responses from the baseline periods to the B and B1 phases. They also had a large increase in correct posture from the B phases to the B1 phases. CONCLUSION: This technology-aided approach may be a helpful resource for people similar to the participants of this study.
Assuntos
Pessoas com Deficiência , Deficiência Intelectual , Humanos , Postura , Smartphone , TecnologiaRESUMO
PURPOSE: This study assessed a new technology system to help six participants with intellectual and visual disabilities manage leisure engagement and communication with distant partners in an independent manner. METHODS: A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effects of the new technology system. This included a Samsung Galaxy J4 Plus smartphone with Android 9.0 operating system, mini voice recording devices, and a Bluetooth speaker. The smartphone was provided with a Google account and Internet connection. The participants could activate the smartphone's Google Assistant and thus access leisure events, start telephone calls or send messages by triggering mini voice recording devices. Each device, when triggered, uttered a specific verbal request (i.e., a request for a leisure option or for a communication partner to call or to reach by messages). Messages received from those partners were read automatically by the smartphone. RESULTS: During baseline (when the voice recording devices were not available), the participants did not manage to activate the smartphone's Google Assistant and thus did not access leisure events and did not make telephone calls or send messages independently. During the post-intervention phase (when the voice recording devices were available), all participants accessed leisure events and made telephone calls or sent and received messages independently, remaining positively engaged throughout the 10-min sessions. Staff rated the new technology system positively. CONCLUSION: The new technology system may be a useful resource to help people like the participants of this study access basic leisure and communication independently.Implications for rehabilitationA technology system relying on commercial devices may be practical and acceptable in daily programs for persons with intellectual and other disabilities.Such system may be used for supporting the persons' independent leisure engagement and communication with distant partners.A system may be accessible to persons with significant disabilities if the responses needed to operate it are simple.Simple hand-pressure responses may be sufficient to operate a system that relies on the input of mini voice recording devices.
Assuntos
Auxiliares de Comunicação para Pessoas com Deficiência , Pessoas com Deficiência , Comunicação , Humanos , Atividades de Lazer , Ferramenta de Busca , SmartphoneRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Persons with severe or profound intellectual disability and visual impairment tend to be passive and sedentary, and technology-aided intervention may be required to improve their condition without excessive demands on staff time. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to extend the assessment of technology-aided interventions for supporting functional occupational engagement and mobility in 7 people with intellectual disability and visual impairment and to use a technology system that is simpler and less expensive than those previously used. METHODS: The technology system involved a Samsung Galaxy A10, 4 Philips Hue indoor motion sensors, and 4 mini speakers. Within each session, the participants were to collect 18 objects (ie, one at a time) from 3 different areas (stations) located within a large room, bring each of the objects to a central desk, and put away each of those objects there. For each object, the participants received verbal (spatial) cues for guiding them to the area where the object was to be collected, a verbal instruction (ie, request) to take an object, verbal (spatial) cues for guiding them to the central desk, a verbal instruction to put away the object collected, and praise and preferred stimulation. RESULTS: During baseline, the frequency of responses completed correctly (objects collected and put away independently) was 0 or near 0. During the intervention phase (ie, with the support of the technology setup), the frequency increased for all participants, reaching a mean of almost 18 (out of 18 response opportunities) for 6 participants and about 13 for the remaining participant. The mean session duration ranged from 12 to 30 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: A program, such as the one used in this study, can be useful in promoting occupational engagement and mobility in persons with intellectual disability and visual impairment.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To enable two persons with acquired brain injury and multiple (e.g. motor and visual) disabilities to communicate with distant partners through a special messaging technology, which served to send out text messages and read (listen to) incoming messages. METHOD: The study was carried out according to a multiple probe design across participants. Both participants (adults) started with baseline in which the technology was not available and continued with intervention in which the technology was used. The technology involved a net-book computer provided with specific software, a global system for mobile communication (GSM) modem, microswitches and pre-recorded lists of persons and messages. RESULTS: The participants' mean frequencies of messages sent out and received per 30-minute session were about three and two, respectively, during baseline and seven and four, respectively, during the intervention. All baseline messages were sent and received with guidance. Nearly all intervention messages were sent and received (listened to) independently by the participants. CONCLUSIONS: Special messaging technology may help persons with multiple disabilities acquire high levels of independent, basic communication with distant partners.
Assuntos
Lesões Encefálicas/psicologia , Auxiliares de Comunicação para Pessoas com Deficiência/psicologia , Pessoas com Deficiência/psicologia , Adulto , Lesões Encefálicas/reabilitação , Telefone Celular , Comunicação , Sistemas Computacionais , Pessoas com Deficiência/reabilitação , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Interface para o Reconhecimento da FalaRESUMO
Objective: The study evaluated a smartphone-aided program to support independent access to leisure events and performance of daily activities in seven participants with moderate intellectual disability, four of whom also had severe hearing loss. Method: The program relied on the use of a Samsung Galaxy J4 Plus smartphone with Android 9.0 operating system. The smartphone's functioning was automated via the MacroDroid application. The program was to allow the participants to alternate access to leisure events (delivered via the smartphone) with performance of vocational activities (guided through smartphone-delivered pictorial or pictorial and verbal instructions) over sessions of about 30 min. Results: During the baseline, the participants failed to access leisure events and perform scheduled activities independently. When the program was used, however, all participants succeeded in both accessing leisure events and performing activities independently. Conclusions: The smartphone-aided program can be a useful tool for people like the participants of this study.
Assuntos
Atividades Cotidianas , Pessoas com Deficiência/reabilitação , Deficiência Intelectual/reabilitação , Atividades de Lazer , Reabilitação Neurológica/métodos , Smartphone , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reabilitação Neurológica/instrumentação , SoftwareRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Smartphone-aided programs were recently developed to support leisure engagement and communication with distant partners in individuals with special needs. This study evaluated an extended smartphone-aided program that supported daily activities in addition to communication and leisure in individuals with intellectual and visual or visuo-motor disabilities. METHOD: Six participants were involved who had been exposed to an earlier smartphone-aided program supporting communication and leisure. The extended program (a) relied on the use of a Samsung Galaxy J4 Plus smartphone, which was fitted with Android 9.0 operating system and MacroDroid, and (b) alternated periods in which the participants could engage in communication and leisure with periods in which they were provided with instructions for daily activities. RESULTS: During the baseline (i.e., with the earlier smartphone-aided program), the participants engaged in communication and leisure, but did not start any activity. During the post-intervention phase (i.e., with the extended smartphone-aided program), the participants maintained successful communication and leisure engagement and started and carried out daily activities successfully. Staff rated the extended program largely preferable to the original program. CONCLUSIONS: The extended program can be a useful tool for widening the functional occupation of individuals like the participants of this study.
Assuntos
Auxiliares de Comunicação para Pessoas com Deficiência , Pessoas com Deficiência , Comunicação , Humanos , Atividades de Lazer , SmartphoneRESUMO
Purpose: This study evaluated a tablet-based program to help eight participants with moderate intellectual disability, sensory and/or motor impairments, and lack of expressive or expressive and receptive verbal skills to select and access leisure activities and video calls independently.Methods: The program relied on the use of a tablet (i.e., Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 LTE) with 8-inch screen, Android 6.0 Operating System, front camera, proximity sensor and multimedia player. The tablet was fitted with a SIM card and two specific applications, that is, WhatsApp Messenger for making video calls and MacroDroid for automating the tablet's functioning in accordance with the program conditions. The tablet presented pictures concerning leisure activities and preferred partners for video calls. The participant could select any activity or partner by touching (or nearing his or her hand to) the tablet's proximity sensor.Results: During the baseline (i.e., without the program), the participants failed to access leisure activities or video calls. During the post-intervention phase (i.e., with the program), they selected and accessed those activities and calls independently and spent between about 75% and 90% of the session time engaging with them.Conclusion: The tablet-based program can be highly beneficial for people like the participants of this study.Implications for rehabilitationA technology-aided program may enable persons with intellectual and other disabilities to independently access leisure activities and communication with distant partners.The program may involve the use of video calls to allow communication to participants with limited or no verbal skills.The program may be realized using a tablet (a) including Android 6.0 Operating System, proximity sensor, and multimedia player, and (b) fitted with a SIM card and applications such as WhatsApp Messenger and MacroDroid.The program may be easily adapted to the participants' characteristics in terms of activities available and partners to reach.