Videotelephones: a Tool for Facilitating Communication and Social Integration for Persons with Moderate Mental Retardation. Telecommunity, RACE 2033 (Research in Advanced
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 395 402 EC 304 795 AUTHOR Brodin, Jane; Alemdar, Ingegerd TITLE Videotelephones: A Tool for Facilitating Communication and Social Integration for Persons with Moderate Mental Retardation. TeleCommunity, RACE 2033 (Research in Advanced Communications Technologies in Europe). Final Report. Technology, Communication, Disability Research Report No. 13. INSTITUTION Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Inst. of Education. SPONS AGENCY Swedish Telecom, Stockholm (Sweden). REPORT NO ISRN-LHS-SPEC-H-13-SE; ISSN-1102-7967 PUB DATE 95 NOTE 157p.; This project was also supported by the Swedish National Board of Industrial and Technical Development and by the Swedish Transport and Communications Research Board. AVAILABLE FROMStockholm Institute of Education, Dept. of Special Education, P.O. Box 47308, S-100 74 Stockholm, Sweden. PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adults; Communication Aids (for Disabled); Daily Living Skills; Foreign Countries; Group Homes; Interpersonal Competence; *Moderate Mental Retardation; Normalization (Disabilities); *Personal Autonomy; *Social Integration; Social Life; *Social Networks; *Telephone Communications Systems; Telephone Usage Instruction IDENTIFIERS Sweden; *Video Telephone ABSTRACT This monograph presents the final report of the Swedish component of TeleCommunity, a nine-nation European project exploring the potential of videotelephones. This particular study focused on the use of videotelephones to increase levels of independence, social integration, and participation in social life among adults with moderate mental retardation (Z1MR). Twenty-four adults (ages 21-60) with MMR were drawn from six day centers and group homes in Stockholm and Jonkoping (Sweden) to participate, each having poorly developed spoken language and using graphic symbols for regular daily communication. Pictogram symbols were selected for each participant's concept keyboard, and participants were trained on use of the equipment. Data on their subsequent use of the videotelephones were gathered through questionnaires; assessment of communicative ability, telephone protocols, and goal setting; and interviews with family members, participants, and support staff. Results indicated that participants' social networks were expanded, frequency of use of the videotelephones increased, communication was genera'ly improved, and increases were noted in both independence and initiative. Appendices include protocol evaluation forms, communicative ability assessment tools, and interview guidelines. (Contains 90 references.) (PB) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office ot Educational Research and imprewnent EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) ktfhis document has been reproducedas ecewed from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to STOCKHOLM INSTITUTE OFEDUCATION improve reproduction quality. Department of Special Education . _ Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official 0E81 position or policy Crl VIDEOTELEPHONES A tool for facilitatingcommunication and social integration for personswith moderate mental retardation. Tele Community - Final report. Jane Brodin and IngegerdAlemdar PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY (5rodi TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Research report No 13 ISSN 1102-7967 Technology, Communication,Disability ISRN LI1S-SPEC-H--13--SE BEST COPY AVAILABLE VIDEOTELEPHONES. A tool for facilitating communication and socialintegration for persons with moderate mental retardation. Jane Brodin and Ingegerd Alemdar This report is the final report from the European projectTele Community, RACE 2033 (R...:search in Advanced Communications Technologies in Europe).The project was supported by the Swedish telecom Telia and the SwedishNational Board for Industrial and Technical Development (NUTEK) in 1992-1994 andby tha The Swedish Transport and Communications Research Board in 1995. Stockholm Institute of Education, Department of Special Education,P.O. Box 47308, S-100 74 Stockholm, Sweden. Tel +46 8 737 96 26, fax +46 8737 96 30 Research report No 13 ISSN 1102-7967 Technology, Communication, Disability ISRN LHS-SPEC-H--13- -SE Graphic Systems AB, MalmO 1996 Abstract: Brodin, Jane & Alemdar, Ingegerd (1995)Videotelephones. A tool for facilitating communication and social integration for persons with moderate mental retardation, TeleCommunity - Final report.Research report No 13. Stockholm Institute of Education: Department of Special Education. TeleCommunity is a European project within the area of videotelephony, with nine countries involved. The overall aims of the Swedish ACE (Advanced Communication Experiment) were to get knowledge of and understanding of the issues whether videotelephones could increase the level of independence, social integration and participation in social life. The purpose of using videotelephones was to study if this kind of telecommunication aid would help the participants with moderate mental retardation to use telephones. The aims were to support, stimulate and facilitate communication, to get access to telecommunications, to support independent living and to increase social integration. Twentyfour persons with moderate mental retardation from six day centres in the Stockholm area and in the Jonkoping area participated in the study. The age of the participants were between 21 and 60 yearsparticipants had a poorly developed spoken language and used graphic symbols in their daily communication. They also had many additional impairments. The methods used to collect data were questionnaires, interviews with parents/relatives, staff from day centres and group homes as well as inteviews with the participants themselves, assessment of the communicative ability, goal setting and telephone protocols. The results show that the participants' social network was expanded, the frequency of use of the videotelephones increased, communication was improved and developed, independence and the ability to take initiatives increased. Keywords: videotelephones, mental retardation, communication, social network, independence FOREWORD 2033, started on January1st 1992 and went,with Tele Community, RACE a extension, on till December31st 1995. Tele Community was one year's (Belgium, Finland, European project withnine countries involved Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,Sweden and Germany, Ireland, The cooperation between United Kingdom). TheSwedish project was a Daltek AB and TeliaAB, who was the main Stockholm University, January 1st, 1995, the contractor for theSwedish participation. From Stockholm University toStockholm Institute project was tranferred from Responsible for the of Education, Departmentof Special Education. support were Sven-HakanNilsson, Master of technical development and to look after Engineering, and Maria Fahlén, Engineer. Their tasks were and assist the day centresinvolved in the study. It the technical equipment running, and much has not always been easyto keep the equipment technicians have not been able toinfluence occurred trouble which "our" of ISDN-network. Theircontribution and knowledge e.g. with the although it has technology has been valuablefor me as a non-technician, understand the different"languages". sometimes been difficult to with when new Teething problems areprobably a fact you have to cope technology is implemented. involved during differentperiods of the project. Many persons have been project and who have The individuals who haveformed the basis for the firstly the 24 individualswith moderate made this study possible are secondly the staff at thesix mental retardation andtheir parents/relatives, and the staff at the grouphomes. I would like to day centres involved their efforts made to thank all these persons fortheir assistance and all conduct the project. Master of Engineering, I would also like tothank Jan-Ingvar Lindstr6m, positive attitude and constructivecomments. His Telia AB, for his always conditions and his knowledge of persons withdisabilities and their living enthusiasm have been a greathelp. especially Leonor Pereira, Thank you all 'partnersin Tele Community, who were all Coleman O'Callaghan andJan Heim and their teams, mental retardation. Ninecountries were involved working in the area of useful and giving. and the discussions at themeetings have been very UK, who has had the I am especially thankful toJohn Mc Ewan, NSSL, uniting link of theconsortium. John's always hard job of being the the work and he has been positive attitudes havehelped us all to continue led the group with a lotof humour. a marvelleousleader of the gang and I do admire his ability to keep the partners from thenine countries together for almost fouryears. The Swedish projectteam has during different periods various members of time involved as the the project has beeninterdisciplinary. Magnus Magnusson, speech therapist,has together with Fredrik speech therapist, worked Thurfjell, also with communication.Magnus has beena colleague of mine sincealmost 18 years andwe have had a long and giving cooperation. He hasmade the interviews in Tele Fredrik Thurfjell has worked Community and with the communicativeassessments of the participants and the goal setting. The work with backgrounddescriptions, social meetings, staff education,telephone protocols and been done by Jane Brodin. reporting have The extensive data collectionhave been processed in a computer,analyzed,