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Eye Gaze in Education Seminar – CALLScotland 30th September 2015

Pendle View School + – Exploring Eye Gaze Together

• Jennette Holden – previously in software dev team at IT, now AAC/ ICT Co-ordinator at Pendle View School

• Sandra Thistlethwaite – previously specialist speech and language therapist/ AAC + ICT Consultant now Director of Product Development at IT

8 years old. No formal diagnosis – global developmental delay, dystonia. Very alert and sociable. Very good understanding of everyday language. Uses symbols to communicate and is learning to read. • Physical access is limiting his ability to communicate and

interact with the computer. • How can we give him the opportunities to realize and

demonstrate his abilities?

• Switch skills and scanning • Touch skills and timing.

Comparing access methods;

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• My first try at eye gaze.

• Cutting a very long story short... • My very own eye gaze communication device!

• 87% of all learning is through the visual system. • 40% of brain involved in processing visual

information. • 68% children with cerebral palsy had refractive

errors or other visual difficulties; • 58% children with HI had vision abnormalities; • 74% children with learning disabilities had vision

defects. • Children with any level of learning difficulties very

commonly have undiagnosed and untreated vision problems.

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Those at risk of CVI • Premature • Meningitis • Encephalitis • Hydrocephalus • Head injury • Cerebral Palsy (spastic diplegia, athetoid, hemiplegic,

spastic quadriplegia) • Epilepsy • Horizontal nystagmus • Hyoscine patches (to control excess saliva) • Behavioural difficulties of undetermined origin.

• Screen engagement + visual attention • Observations of eye + head movements and behaviours. • Difficulties with 5 point calibration

7 years old. Affectionate and sociable with familiar adults; initiates interaction, attempts some vocalisations. Complex needs (Epilepsy, Development delay, Right Hemimegalencephaly, Visual impaired) • How much can he see and make sense of? • How much does he understand? Is he at or beyond C+E? • Switch access is difficult – is there a better form of access?

• Development of myGaze – EyeMouse Play • One point calibration

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Noticing and Detecting images; • Images on right detected quicker than on left. • Images at top slower than at bottom. • Named cat image – Perceive – Recognise - Identify

• Tracking images - Complex process • Heat maps vs videos. • Evidence of brief following. • Scattered pattern of eye movements, not smooth path.

• Perceived • Located +

mapped • SP signals –

6 nerves + 12 muscles

• Predictive systems to “lock and follow”

• Engagement and Visual Attention – very good • Interested in more complex pictures. • Focus mainly on one area - did explore 2-3 parts given time /

prompts.

• Cause and Effect understanding – a demonstration in one session!

• Transfer of learning to next activity. • However, did not engage with “mouse cursor movement”

activities e.g. painting, reveal scene

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• Gaze shift + sequencing – Bailey exceeded expectations • Turn taking – enjoying developing skills

• Drag and drop – perhaps a little tricky just yet. • Selecting moving objects. Using easier options – a real

winner!

• Making choices – enjoyed exploring simple linear choices. • Giving opinions and making decisions – the first steps

• Multiple targets – more difficult • Yes he can give opinions!

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• Assessment summary

Implications and Guidance • VI expert! • Neurology

• At risk of CVI - Epilepsy • At risk of visual field defects – surgery for epilepsy – can

cause hemianopia/ quadrant field defect on opposite side/ medications for epilepsy.

• Children with diagnosed oculomotor difficulties often do intermittent rapid shakes of head (to re-center eyes?)

• Possible problems with left/ upper screen + eye movement difficulties

• Teaching materials and strategies • positioning for new learning • improving skills

• Communication/ AAC implications • Linear vs Multiple