This document discusses the use of eye-gaze technology to help students with complex physical and learning needs at Penhurst School. It describes how the school initially loaned eye-gaze equipment to explore its potential, focusing on students with more severe needs who lacked access to technology. One student named Georgie was able to demonstrate understanding through eye-gaze, leading the school to fundraise for her own system. Georgie is now able to communicate using eye-gaze software incorporated into her daily routines, helping her access the curriculum. The document raises discussion points about ensuring accurate interpretation of students' responses and managing expectations of eye-gaze technology for students with significant needs.

1. Eye-gaze technology for students
with complex physical and
learning needs
Gillian Taylor
Occupational Therapist
Penhurst School, Action for
Children
gillian.taylor@actionforchildren.org.uk

2. Action for Children Penhurst School …
Residential School in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Up to 24 students aged 5 – 25 years
Complex physical and learning needs
Multidisciplinary staff team (care, education,
therapy)

3. Our story begins 2010…
• Relationship with The ACE Centre, Oxford
• Eye-gaze taking off as an access method but mainly for
those who were cognitively high-functioning
• Wanted to explore it’s use with young people with more
severe learning difficulties

4. Loan equipment
Tobii D10
ACE Centre laptop

5. Where to start?!
Knew a fair amount about the vision of our students –
•
most have some degree of visual difficulty (cortical,
perceptual)
• Ruled out those who showed no registration of visual
information
- misinterpretation possible at this level of use
• Decided to give everyone else a go!

6. Initial challenges
• Positioning of equipment / students
• Own lack of knowledge and experience
• Time
• Identifying appropriate activities

7. So what happened?
More physically able students …
• very used to switches and touch screens – needed
to touch!
• question whether eye-gaze needed – already had
access to activities appropriate to their
developmental level
• some difficult to engage with the screen/software

8. So what happened?
Less physically able students …
• more of a priority – no good access to technology
established
• Less sure of their cognitive ability due to
complexity of needs
• eye-gaze offered an exciting new possible access
method for them

9. Introducing Georgie
17 years old
Cerebral palsy
Complex health issues
Function severely affected
by very high/fluctuating
muscle tone and primitive
reflexes
Learning difficulties – extent
unknown
Visual impairment
Communication limited to a
long blink for ‘yes’ (auditory
scanning)

10. Initial calibration

12. Outcomes
• Long loan period gave Georgie and us time to explore
use of the equipment at her pace
• Georgie has been able to demonstrate her
understanding
• Assessment with Smartbox for appropriate system
(www.smartboxat.com)
• Fund-raised for Tobii C12 via The Sequal Trust
(www.thesequaltrust.org.uk)

13. • C12, Tobii Communicator (Sono Primo) software and
wheelchair mount provided
• Training provided for parents and staff
• Everyone learning to use the system – incorporating into
daily routines
• ALSO … Georgie is using her eyes more functionally

14. Discussion points
Visual impairment
Accurate interpretation of what we were seeing
Justification to others and ourselves of cost
Expectations (mum and dad, school staff)
Where to go from here (multi-disciplinary working)
Others?