E-Amigo: Assistant for the Intellectually Disabled

Abstract

The intellectual disabled are particularly im- pacted in the area of daily living skills. They often have trouble remembering routine tasks such as making dinner or taking a bath, or infrequent events such as doctor’s appointments or sporting events. The e-Amigo seeks to alleviate this prob- lem by providing event notifications through the use of a portable digital aid. Designed to accom- modate the unique needs of an intellectually dis- abled individual, the e-Amigo incorporates a du- rable, elegant, and inconspicuous form with an easy viewing display screen. The screen displays event reminders at preset times to alert the patient of an event, accompanied by the voice of a care- giver. The portable device synchronizes with cus- tomized calendar software on the caregiver’s computer, providing the caregiver full control over his or her patient’s schedules. The initial pro- totype of the e-Amigo was implemented using a PDA and tested with professional caregivers. Fi- nally, client evaluation of the e-Amigo prototype confirmed that the device has met its initial goals of aiding intellectually disabled people in con- ducting daily living tasks. Key recommendations for future improvements are button functionality for the PDA and scheduling application for the caregivers.