Voice Recognition Technology and Persons with Severe Mental Retardation and Severe Physical Impairment: Learning, Response Differentiation, and Affect

Abstract

This study investigated the learning and response differentiation of a variety of voice commands that served to control environmental devices by a person who is severely mentally retarded and severely physically impaired. The contingencies between vocalization and device activation were created by a computer system with voice recognition and environmental control capabilities. Using a multiple-baseline-across-behaviors experimental design, the study shows that the subject (a) learned the cause-and-effect relationship between her voice and the resultant environmental action, (b) differentiated various vocalizations for different environmental actions, and (c) experienced positive affect when she was in control. This application represents the first time in the subject's life that she exerted independent control over her environment.