This project will produce a series of four fully interactive CD- ROM programs designed to prevent the spread of HIV among adolescents with mild cognitive and/or developmental disabilities (DD). While adolescents with DD have the same civil and human rights as other youth, they are frequently ill-prepared to make good decisions about sexual activity. These programs will meet that need. Direct instruction (DI) teaching methods will be used to facilitate mastery learning of the decision-making and social skills necessary for DD students to make safer sexual choices. The program will promote: (a) choosing to abstain from sexual intercourse, (b) recognizing and responding to high-risk sexual situations, and (c) appropriately using barrier methods if the decision is made to become sexually active. Through an interactive process, users will observe, assess, and direct the behavior of on-screen models, and be able to view the consequences of unsafe sexual choices. The program will analyze the choices made by the user and will provide immediate feedback and error-specific remediation. Phase I of this project will produce and evaluate a prototype program, targeting high school males. In Phase II three additional programs targeting high school females and middle school males and females will be completed.

Proposed Commercial Applications

The market for these CD-ROM products includes all agencies that provide educational or informational materials to adolescents and young adults regarding sexual behavior (e.g., middle and high school health clinics, special education services and classes, state, county, and city health departments and STD clinics, Planned Parenthood clinics.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase I (R43)
Project #
3R43MH061756-01S1
Application #
6225640
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1 (02))
Program Officer
Steinberg, Louis H
Project Start
1999-09-30
Project End
2000-11-30
Budget Start
1999-09-30
Budget End
2000-11-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$42,476
Indirect Cost
Name
Oregon Center for Applied Science, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
783579782
City
Eugene
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97401