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A beta version of CappsDATA was introduced to services of Alternatives for People with Autism, Inc. in August of 1998. The clients are 17 adults impaired by autism and Intellectual disability. Alternatives for People with Autism aquired a patent of the CappsDATA methods as of March 2003.
The initial, trial phase was short-lived because staff quickly accepted it, and it replaced all other methods and processes of service planning and delivery. The most recent versions are implemented using a mixture of Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 10 computers. Virtual Private Networking is implemented for authorized external access. All hardware is “off-the-shelf.”
The software has been under continuous development and improvement since 1998. Its evolution is directly influenced by (a) issues of user efficiency, (b) improving the technology of service delivery, (c) psychometric considerations of data definition and accuracy, and (d) expanding demands upon the databases for reporting and analysis. It is primarily written in Pascal using Borland’s Delphi (6) which supports a relatively rapid development environment as well as efficient database implementation.
The development of CappsDATA has been motivated by the desire to improve our own person-to-person services. It has depended upon retirement activities of the board president and heroic efforts by a number of committed and responsible staff. We have met our original goals and feel that we have done so exceedingly well. Now, we feel that the process could be valuable in the many industries that provide person-to-person services.