Iterative Development of a Software to Facilitate Independent Home Use of BCI Technologies for Children with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are emerging as a new solution for children with severe disabilities to interact with the world. However, BCI technologies have yet to reach end-users in their daily lives due to significant translational gaps. To address these gaps, we applied user-centered design principles to establish a home BCI program for children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. This work describes the technical development of the software we designed to facilitate BCI use at home. Children and their families were involved at each design stage to evaluate and provide feedback. Since deployment, seven families have successfully used the system independently at home and continue to use BCI at home to further enable participation and independence for their children. Clinical relevance- The design and successful implementation of user-centered software for home use will both inform on the feasibility of BCI as a long-term access solution for children with neurological disabilities as well as decrease barriers of accessibility and availability of BCI technologies for end-users.