Head mouse
We've had a couple more appointments at Perlman Center since my last post. In case you were wondering, the Aaron W. Perlman Center at Children's Hospital focuses on helping people with physical limitations access different kinds of assistive technology and equipment to help them move around, communicate, etc. Dr. Neel doesn't necessarily send all of his patients there since the ALS Clinic at UC Hospital staffs its own physical, occupational, and speech therapists. But once he discovered that Kevin is a techy, he knew that the ability to access a computer despite loss of hand strength and dexterity would be a top priority.
These are some of the questions that we were trying to answer: First, what kind of technology, eye-gaze or otherwise, exists for allowing Kevin to access a computer at the level he would like (e.g., writing code, not just point-and-click)? When Kevin sits down in front of a computer, he uses the keyboard heavily, with multiple keystrokes at once. How does this translate to an on-screen keyboard controlled with the eyes? Can such a keyboard be customized to his needs? What about the predictive text dictionary that is included? Can it be edited to include common terms from a programming language?
Secondly, what kind of technology exists to help Kevin communicate as it becomes more difficult for him to speak? And thirdly, is there one device that can allow him to access the computer in a way he would like and also communicate, or are these two separate devices?? (For the record, we have determined that no, they are separate--the communication devices by themselves do not allow Kevin the kind of system-wide control he would need.)
Our outings to the center have been quite fun, giving Kevin the chance to talk technology with people who don't get that glazed-over look that I think he sees on my face sometimes. We have learned a lot about what they have to offer, and in turn, Kevin has been able to share with them some of the things he has been exploring on his own. For example, he has found that the assistive technology built into the latest software on his Mac is actually quite good. He is able to navigate his way around by using a "head mouse," essentially using the laptop's built-in camera to track his head movements and facial expressions. He has been able to customize an on-screen keyboard and do everything he would normally be able to do on the laptop without using his arms at all. He has even been able to control his android cell phone through the laptop. I'm always so impressed with his perseverance and determination when faced with a problem to be solved!
Given everything that he has been able to do on his own with his Mac, Kevin doesn't have an immediate need for any additional technology, but the visits to Perlman have been invaluable in helping us map out a plan moving forward. He was able to experiment with a couple different pieces of equipment that we will need down the line (eye-gaze camera, etc). Also, the speech therapist at Perlman will help us monitor Kevin's speech capabilities to know when he will likely qualify for a speech device through Medicare. So we'll be headed back there at some point, but for now he has a set-up at home that is working quite well.
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/a/aaron-perlman-center/about
These are some of the questions that we were trying to answer: First, what kind of technology, eye-gaze or otherwise, exists for allowing Kevin to access a computer at the level he would like (e.g., writing code, not just point-and-click)? When Kevin sits down in front of a computer, he uses the keyboard heavily, with multiple keystrokes at once. How does this translate to an on-screen keyboard controlled with the eyes? Can such a keyboard be customized to his needs? What about the predictive text dictionary that is included? Can it be edited to include common terms from a programming language?
Secondly, what kind of technology exists to help Kevin communicate as it becomes more difficult for him to speak? And thirdly, is there one device that can allow him to access the computer in a way he would like and also communicate, or are these two separate devices?? (For the record, we have determined that no, they are separate--the communication devices by themselves do not allow Kevin the kind of system-wide control he would need.)
Our outings to the center have been quite fun, giving Kevin the chance to talk technology with people who don't get that glazed-over look that I think he sees on my face sometimes. We have learned a lot about what they have to offer, and in turn, Kevin has been able to share with them some of the things he has been exploring on his own. For example, he has found that the assistive technology built into the latest software on his Mac is actually quite good. He is able to navigate his way around by using a "head mouse," essentially using the laptop's built-in camera to track his head movements and facial expressions. He has been able to customize an on-screen keyboard and do everything he would normally be able to do on the laptop without using his arms at all. He has even been able to control his android cell phone through the laptop. I'm always so impressed with his perseverance and determination when faced with a problem to be solved!
Given everything that he has been able to do on his own with his Mac, Kevin doesn't have an immediate need for any additional technology, but the visits to Perlman have been invaluable in helping us map out a plan moving forward. He was able to experiment with a couple different pieces of equipment that we will need down the line (eye-gaze camera, etc). Also, the speech therapist at Perlman will help us monitor Kevin's speech capabilities to know when he will likely qualify for a speech device through Medicare. So we'll be headed back there at some point, but for now he has a set-up at home that is working quite well.
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/a/aaron-perlman-center/about
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