シンポジウム2：国際的視点からみた日本の重症児（者）支援の評価と課題 −教育的支援を中心にして−
Assessing alertness and engagement in children with severe intellectual and multiple disabilities.
2020 年 45 巻 1 号 p. 55-64
詳細
2020 年 45 巻 1 号 p. 55-64
Children with severe intellectual and multiple disabilities often appear to be passive and unresponsive to environmental stimulation. A major priority for such children is to increase the amount of time that they are alert and actively engaged. This research study examined the extent to which five children with severe intellectual and multiple impairments aged 9 – 13 years were reported by school carers (support staff) to indicate engagement and the extent to which these reported indices of responsiveness varied in relation to differing levels of environmental stimulation. Each child was directly observed across three different environmental conditions that varied in terms of the amount and type of stimulation provided. Support staff rated the child’s potential engagement behaviours using the Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts (IPCA). Findings suggested that the children’s levels of alertness/engagement did seem to vary reliably and consistently in relation to the amount and type of environmental stimulation being provided. These results suggest that children who appear largely passive and unresponsive might show subtle signs of alertness/engagement in response to higher levels of environmental stimulation. The presence of these signs of alertness might signal times when the child is actively engaged and more likely to be responsive to instruction.
