2018 End of Year Report 11932-4-h small links | Page 13

ALEH resident using iPad
to create music
“I want to go to the mall.” Just a few words, but a
breakthrough for Einat, who can now use her eyes to
convey her feelings through the eye-tracking system.
The program was significantly expanded this year with the purchase of 17 additional iPads
sponsored by the Silvian Foundation. These extraordinary communicative devices are in use
throughout the day at ALEH, at mealtimes, during therapeutic and educational activities, and
throughout recreational activities.
>
In the Blink of an Eye: 10-year-old Einat, a student in ALEH’s special education school, was born
with Rhett syndrome, characterized by disorders in verbal and non-verbal communication. But
the new computer-based eye tracking system for communication has been a revolution for
Einat. The eye tracking system’s computer works by tracking the eye’s pupil via an infrared
beam and translating each of the pupil’s movements to a cursor, much in the same way that a
mouse works with a computer. With the help of the eye tracking system, Einat recently
expressed her desire to go to the mall! Using eye-tracking, Einat and her friends can
communicate with their surroundings, convey their feelings, participate in lessons and watch
videos and programs that they enjoy.