A PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRONIC CUEING AID FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BORN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION OR WHO SUSTAIN TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES OFTEN ARE LEFT WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS. THESE IMPAIRMENTS AFFECT THE INDIVIDUAL'S ATTENTION, ORIENTATION, MEMORY, VERBAL OR PERCEPTUAL ABILITIES, AND SOCIAL REASONING. PARTICULARLY, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS HAVE A POOR SENSE OF JUDGEMENT, DECISION MAKING, AND INITIATION. THUS, THEIR ABILITY TO BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED, SUCCESSFULLY EDUCATED, OR DEPENDABLE WITHIN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS IS LIMITED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. IN SOME CASES, MEMORY AIDS SUCH AS NOTEBOOKS, CALENDARS, COMPUTERS, OR ELECTRONIC SCHEDULERS MAY ASSIST THE INDIVIDUAL IN BECOMING MORE INDEPENDENT; HOWEVER, CURRENT MEMORY AIDS ARE LIMITED AND UNRELIABLE. DAG PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AN ELECTRONIC CUEING AID THAT WILL PROMPT AN INDIVIDUAL TO MAINTAIN A SCHEDULE OF EVENTS. THIS DEVICE WILL PROVIDE ICONIFIED, TEXTUAL, AND VERBAL FEEDBACK, THE THREE REPRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND RECALL OF EVENTS WITH WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL IS FAMILIAR. THE DEVICE WOULD BE CUSTOMIZABLE TO THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL MUST RECALL. BY USING THIS DEVICE, INDIVIDUALS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITES COULD BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED, SUCCESSFULLY EDUCATED, OR RELIABLY INDEPENDENT WITHIN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY.