Abstract
The present study describes in detail the process of understanding the actual circumstances of a child with profound brain and respiratory disabilities, and an intervention for such a child. Although it was difficult to confirm definite responses to stimuli from observations of the child's movements and heart rate, it appeared that temporary changes in heart rate might have been related to involuntary movements observed in the child's face or passive movements of one of the child's hands. Furthermore, a re-analysis of the heart rate data and consequent changes in the intervention method resulted in temporary changes in heart rate that corresponded to individual stimuli. The discussion focuses on the meaning of such temporary changes in heart rate and the significance of the heart rate index when interacting with children with profound brain and respiratory disabilities, and mentions points that researchers and teachers should note in order to make good use of the heart rate index.
