Facilitating conversation using smart phone photo albums for a young adult with intellectual disabilities

This paper reviewed recent literature on hand-held technology and communication book use to facilitate conversation for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. The study sought to investigate whether a young adult student with a moderate to severe intellectual disability could use pictures on his smart phone to increase the number of social initiations he made to familiar peers and staff across three different settings in his community-based transition program. The study expands on the work of previous researchers by working with a young adult student and using a smart phone to store and deliver the intervention. The results of the study indicate that the smart phone conversation photo album enabled the student to increase his social initiations. Results of a survey administered reveal the intervention was perceived as effective, easy to use, and enhanced the subject’s relationships with his peers.