Commune
Last week Hannah got to try the Spectronic DynaVoxVmax eyegaze communication device at school. It is a device that allows the calibrated person to use her eye gaze to make a selection of what she wants to say, and the machine will say the words for her. (Really, really, really, cool technology)
Hannah is using her hands more, but she is still very leary of using them for anything besides batting at objects. She has preferred to use her eye gaze for making selections and communication.
So, four of us gathered in a small room with Hannah. The system was set up. Hannah followed the directions to calibrate the machine to her. She patiently went through the exercises.
The product rep started with one image that represented someone jumping. If she made it say “jump,” I would jump.
The first time she did it, after I jumped, she couldn't stop laughing. The adults in the room asked her to push it again. Because it was hilarious. She tried, but she was laughing so hard, and she has huge cheeks that narrow her eyes, so when she laughed, the machine could not read her.
Once she calmed down, she did it again, I jumped again, and she laughed some more.
The rep added more commands. There was a button to pat my head and one to clap my hands. She looked at whatever one they asked her to do. Everyone did all the commands except the jump command. Hannah would also clap as she would look at the clap command. She loved it.
Next they tried a bubble button. Hannah is interested in bubbles, but not as much as most kids I've been around. There was a blow bubble button. This was hard for me to do on command. My timing never seemed right. There was a catch bubble command. Again my timing was off. Then there was a pop bubble command, and the bubbles usually decided to disappear before that was implemented. She was patient through this exchange.
Then it looked like they were going to find something else to try.
Hannah took over. She found the button that said “I need help”
We all paused.
She found the button “Please”
She went for a button with a bathtub on it but it wasn't the one she wanted she shook her head.
They had her restart.
She started at “I need help please”
Then she found “I have to go to the bathroom. I need help please.”
We acknowledged her request.
She found “Thank you.”
I teared up. Hannah teared up. I took her to the bathroom.
--Mom
