Enhancing interaction: the crucial role of eye-tracking technology in assessing children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in Poland

• Aneta M. Kochanowicz ^[1] ; Leszek Pawłowski ^[2]
  1. [1] Department of Education, WSB University,
  2. [2] Department of Palliative Medicine, Medical University
• Localización: Multidisciplinary journal of school education, ISSN-e 2543-8409, ISSN 2543-7585, Vol. 26, Nº. 2, 2024 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Teacher and technology), págs. 229-250
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The Objective of the Research: This research focuses on the pivotal role ofutilizing eye-gaze assistive technology (EGAT) in diagnosing individualswith profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). The study in-cluded six children aged 5–12 with PIMD who do not use speech. The pri-mary aim was twofold: first, to assess and validate diagnoses (certificates)issued by Psychological and Pedagogical Counselling Centres in Poland,which traditionally do not use eye-gaze assistive technology (NEGAT); sec-ond, to identify specific exercises from the Look to Learnand eyeLearnsoft-ware that facilitate the examination of various cognitive abilities. Theseabilities include visual-spatial skills (e.g., perception ability, visual-auditorycoordination, and precision of vision), language skills (both comprehensionand expression), and logical thinking (ranging from cause-effect actions tomaking choices among multiple elements).

    Research Method:The study employed an action research approach withmethodological triangulation, including:•Analysis of medical and therapeutic documents (certificates from Psy-chological and Pedagogical Counselling Centres)•Participant observation (both open and structured), and•The multiple (collective) case study method.Sessions using EGAT were developed, and exercises that could be used toverify specific skills were selected. The PCEye Mini Track & Learn tool—fea-turing Gaze Point & Gaze Viewer—was used in the research.Structure of the Article: The article is organized into eight sections: intro-duction; a brief overview of the current diagnostic procedures in Poland;objectives; methods; results; discussion on improving access to EGAT; andconclusions.Research Findings and their impact on the Development of EducationalSciences: The findings indicate that diagnoses provided by Psychologicaland Pedagogical Counselling Centres in Poland may require reconsideration.By incorporating eye-gaze assistive technology (EGAT) and re-diagnosingsix children previously identified as having profound intellectual disabilities,we identified previously unrecognized abilities in speech comprehension,logical reasoning, visual-spatial skills, and learning pace. The research bringsattention to the necessity for standardized tests using eye-tracking technol-ogy to assess the intellectual functioning of children with disabilities.Conclusions and Recommendations: It is recommended that Psychologicaland Pedagogical Counselling Centres be equipped with EGAT to ensure moreaccurate diagnoses of children suspected of having profound intellectualdisabilities. The study advocates discontinuing the issuance of certificates in-dicating profound intellectual disability and instead implementing func-tional assessments using EGAT.