6 Myths About Eye Gaze Every Parent Should Know

Eye gaze is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that allows users to communicate with their eyes through an eye tracking system that picks up on the words or buttons on the screen and then speaks it out loud via a computer speaker. Eye gaze can be used by individuals with physical disabilities or motor limitations that prevent them from being able to speak orally.

There’s a lot that goes into eye gaze systems. To help bust some common myths about eye gaze, we spoke with Co-Founder and Consultant of The Babel Group, Katie Seaver, MS, CCC-SLP; Clinical Consultant at The Babel Group, Jill Adlin, CCC-SLP; and Speech-Language Pathologist and Owner of Trivinity Consulting, Bernadette Kennard, MA, CCC.

If you want to learn the basics of eye gaze, check out our article Eye Gaze 101 that dives in more on how this system works, how to determine if it’s the right fit for your child, how to get this device covered, and so much more.

1. Eye gaze is easy.

There’s this common misconception that communicating with an eye gaze device is very intuitive. After all, we’re surrounded by screens all day, so it does seem like our kids should be able to just look at the screen and talk, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, people don’t realize that eye gaze requires a very deliberate level of concentration and coordination between what you want to say and then finding the correct button with your eyes. In the beginning, this can often be difficult as eyes fatigue. That’s why — much like doing push-ups — it is a muscle that has to be trained over time with a licensed professional like an occupational therapist or a speech-language pathologist.

2. Eye gaze is one-size-fits-all.

There are so many eye gaze systems on the market, each with different cameras, tablets, speakers, etc. that work great for one child but maybe not so great for another. The key is to trial any system before you commit to one.

Kennard shares that one of her patient's parents chose the first eye gaze system they were presented with before properly trialing it, and it turned out not to be the right fit for their child. Unfortunately for them, this meant that they weren’t able to get a new system for another three years due to their insurance. So parents, make sure you do your research, ask your occupational therapist and speech language pathologist about different eye gaze systems on the market, and work with them to trial the device for a few weeks before committing.

3. My child can’t use eye gaze because they have low vision.

False! Our experts all emphasize the fact that you do not have to have perfect eye sight to use the eye gaze. In fact, there are certain eye gaze systems, like Tobi TD I-Series® that use cameras specifically designed to work around the glare of your child’s glasses. Alternatively, the screen layout can be adjusted to be larger so that your child can see the button they are looking for more easily.

4. My child can’t sit up straight, so they can’t use the device.

There are eye gaze systems with arm mounts that can be moved and manipulated to best fit your child’s needs. Whether your child is lying down or reclined, the mount can be moved to follow your child’s eyeline

5. Eye gaze is the best form of communication.

Not always! Our experts often see families understandably gravitate to eye gaze because it seems like a quick and easy way to get their child to communicate faster. However, there’s a lot more that goes into eye gaze than just looking at a screen. That’s why our experts stress the importance of having your child’s speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist systematically rule other AAC devices out. This way, you can properly determine whether or not eye gaze is the optimal device for your child (and potentially save you the time and money it takes to get an eye gaze system).

6. All I have to do is plug in the system and go.

Not quite. While this system is very high-tech, it does require hands-on setup, charging the device for your child, and troubleshooting if the system isn’t working properly.

This means that your child’s speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist will also be guiding you on the ins and outs of your child’s eye gaze devices. In fact, Adlin recommends parents to spend time with their child’s device after they go to sleep to become more familiar with the system. By doing this, parents can gain a better understanding of how the system works and how challenging it can be at times, which allows for a deeper level of patience, empathy, and confidence for you and your child.

Looking for more information about eye gaze? Be sure to visit Eye Gaze 101.