Assistive Technology-based Programs for Promoting Independence of Post-coma Children

Post-coma children usually fail to be constructively engaged with their surrounding environment, due to extensive motor disabilities and lack of speech. In fact, they may pose serious challenges to daily life contexts (i.e., home, medical and rehabilitative settings), since they are frequently unable to correctly manage the positive stimulation by their-own and they are inadequate to be involved within conventional and traditional programs [1,2]. Thus, these children may be not capable of: (a) regulate the amount and the type of stimulation available, and (b) positively interact or communicate with their partners (e.g., parents and caregivers), with negative outcomes on their quality of life [3,4]. To overcome this issue one may resort on assistive technology-based interventions (AT) [5]. AT refers to any device, equipment or piece enabling a participant affected by severe to profound developmental disabilities with self-determination towards the outside stimuli [6].