Eyegaze for Education: Women and Girls with Rett Syndrome

Many thanks to the Rett Syndrome Association Massachusetts for hosting me for this presentation.


Also thank you to everyone who watched the live broadcast of this workshop on Ustream.TV!

I apologize for the technical difficulties. It was a first time thing, broadcasting a workshop and I learned a lot.

Ingrid Harding of Girl Power 2 Cure taped (most) of the broadcast, which is seen below.



Please comment and let me know if you saw the broadcast! (I never saw the social stream.)

The Eyes Have It: Dynavox EyeMax Now Shipping

The best of AAC in the form of Dynavox hardware and software and the best of the eye gaze trackers on the market have come together (finally) in the Dynavox Vmax with the EyeMax Accessory.

• eye tracker, Dynavox and Navigator Software work for any age and any ability level
• one or two eye tracking
• works with limited head movement, no need to stay totally still (similar to other devices on the market H x W x D = 6" x 9.4" x 11" )
• works with glasses and contacts
• portable
• durable
• works with all major mounting systems
• generally faster than scanning
• user requirements are to be able to look up, down, right, left, have adequate vision to see screen within a certain distance and focus eyes on one point for a very brief period
• see FAQ
  

Some cautions (most taken from private conversations with the Dynavox team in Pittsburg):

• get a rental (two weeks or longer) and collect copious data before you order, for most (basically ALL) funding providers (especially medicaid/medicare and health insurance) you must PROVE that no other (less expensive) access method will work
• be sure to rent or borrow the mounting system you will be using as well
  
• do not expect to add an EyeMax (or any other expensive access method) to a device you just purchased through any one funder if you purchased it saying that the user could access through another method, this will appear to be fraud (Dynavox and many others working in the DME (Durable Medical Equpiment) field are very concerned with funding of add on EyeMax accessories to recently ordered devices)
  

Dynavox Announces Eye Gaze Control

There have been rumors for a while, but today Dynavox has formally announced eye gaze control for the Dynavox Vmax coming in the fall. They are calling the device the EyeMax. It has been designed working with the folks at Eye Tech. The EyeMax will be an add-on accessory, it works via USB connection and is compatiable with any VMax that has 512MB or 1GB RAM for memory. Individuals at dynvaox have told me that they believe it accomodates extranneous head movement as much as any other device out there, including the Tobii, but that a full evaluation with the EyeMax should be done before ordering*.

Dynavox believes that having the EyeMax being an add-on access piece (like a switch or track pad is) will work better for folks with progressive disorders like ALS, muscular dystrophy and mitochondrial disease. Thus the EyeMax can be ordered when it is needed, as opposed to buying one device that become obsolete and then having to replace it with a device that has integrated eye gaze control. My only concern is the usual concern, funding. Maybe, just maybe the powers that be of funding will realize it is cheaper to buy one device and add an EyeMax later, but somehow, I doubt it.

*(Ed's note - obviously a full eval with device and access should always be done before ordering)