Comparing a Playful Interactive Product to Watching Television: An Exploratory Study for People with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities

Background: New technologies could broaden activities for people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). This study compared watching television with a newly-developed interactive ball. Method: The ball responded with sounds, lights, and wiggling to the player's voice and movements. Five control sessions (watching television) were compared to five experimental sessions (interactive ball). Observations were evaluated with 10s-partial-interval recording focussed on indicators of alertness and affect, yielding 900 measurements/participant. Data were analysed with Nonoverlap-of-All-Pairs analyses and visual inspection. Results: Four out of nine participants responded positively to the ball regarding alertness. Three of them also showed positive changes regarding affective behaviour. For three participants, responses were comparable to television sessions. Finally, responses of two participants appeared difficult to observe. Conclusions: Responses to the ball varied widely, which fits the heterogeneous character of the targetgroup. Results are reasonably encouraging when it comes to the development and implications of interactive technologies for people with PIMD.