Tom GriffithsUniversity of Dundee · Computing
Tom Griffiths
PhD Language and Cognition
About
24
Publications
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175
Citations
Citations since 2017
Introduction
Additional affiliations
January 2014 - February 2016
Education
April 2012 - March 2020
September 2004 - September 2005
September 2001 - May 2004
Publications
Publications (24)
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is the collective term for a broad range of techniques, strategies and devices which can support children with communication difficulties who may have little or no intelligible speech. This may include manual signs or systems of symbols, words or letters that can be used to construct messages and con...
Background
Limited research exists to guide clinical decisions about trialling, selecting, implementing and evaluating eye-gaze control technology. This paper reports on the outcomes of a Delphi study that was conducted to build international stakeholder consensus to inform decision making about trialling and implementing eye-gaze control technolog...
Purpose
The aim of this study was to develop and test a new classification scale to describe looking behaviours (gaze fixations and gaze shifts) in relation to eye-pointing.
Methods
The Eye-pointing Classification Scale (EpCS) was developed and tested following established procedures for the construction and evaluation of equivalent scales, and in...
Children with cerebral palsy (CP), whose disability may limit speech production and motor
skills, are often considered good candidates for the use of eye-gaze technology to access
communication, learning and play. At present, little is known about the skills needed to
control this technology, which can make it difficult for clinicians to make de...
Abstract
The use of eye-gaze control technologies as a method to access computers and AAC devices is increasingly widespread for children with severe motor impairments. Often, such technologies are introduced to children at a young developmental age, with the goal of teaching them the core skills needed to control them.
Previous work has suggested...
The eye-pointing classification scale (eyePoint scale) is a tool to support professionals and families in describing looking behaviours related to eye-pointing in non-speaking children with cerebral palsy affecting their whole body.
The use of eye-gaze control technologies as a method to access computers and AAC devices is increasingly widespread for children with severe motor impairments. Often, such technologies are introduced to children at a young developmental age, with the goal of teaching them the core skills needed to control them.
Previous work by our team presented...
Children with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) may experience difficulties in producing clear speech and may benefit from the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Such systems may include the use of high-tech hardware and software to allow the selection of words or symbols, to be transmitted to a communication partner...
The use of eye-gaze control technology as a method to access computers and AAC devices is increasingly widespread for children with severe motor impairments. Often such technologies are introduced to children at a young developmental age, with the goal of teaching them the core skills needed to make use of the access method.
To date, there exists...
Background Limitation of body movement imposes restrictions on direct experience and self expression. For the young developing child vision serves as a vital input sense, and use of controlled looking behaviours (e.g. fixations and fixation/gaze shifts) can also be an important means of communicative output. For example, by shifting gaze between an...
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) can experience a range of significant speech, language and communication difficulties. Those children with little or no intelligible speech can benefit from the provision of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. AAC approaches include training in the use of manual signs and/or symbol systems, as...
Children with severe cerebral palsy (CP) affecting their whole body may experience co‐occurring cognitive and language difficulties. However, access to conventional testing materials in order to determine the nature of such learning disabilities can be problematic for these children, whose motor impairments preclude the use of the functional speech...
Background:
Children with cerebral palsy often show significant communication impairment due to limited or absent speech. Further, motor impairment can restrict the use of movement, including pointing, to signal interest and intent. For some children, controlled gaze can be an effective 'point-substitute': such 'eye-pointing' can be used to reques...
The aim of this study was to examine variation in the frequency of children's participation in out-of-school activities as a function of speech intelligibility, perceived effectiveness of the child's communication aid, and age. Sixty-nine caregivers of children with complex communication needs provided with communication aids completed a questionna...
Purpose
– Some children with severe speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) can make use of assistive communication technology (ACT) to support and augment their speaking and writing. Different stakeholders may place emphasis on specific areas for ACT use, and this paper, therefore, proposes a framework for discussing and clarifying these v...
The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary analysis of relations between child and environmental variables, including factors related to communication aid provision, and participation in informal everyday activities in a sample of children with complex communication needs. Ninety-seven caregivers of children provided with communication aids...
Many factors affect how much communication aids support and promote children’s participation in everyday settings. However, little research has explored which combinations of environmental, child and communication aid factors appear most influential. This paper will present preliminary findings from a pilot study of outcomes of communication aid pr...
Eye gaze technology has been around in various forms since the 1960s and has already come a long way since its origins in marketing and human-computer interaction. Eye gaze as an access method - in other words as a way of controlling the computer mouse - has been a more recent innovation and one that has 'hit the headlines' of assistive technology....
It has been argued that categories of popular music are difficult to pin down but can be defined by sets of discourses about what that music means, whether it is, for example, authentic, gritty, aggressive or soulful. But there have been no systematic analyses of the discourses realised by the music itself. Musical motifs in melody, kinds of instru...
Projects
Projects (2)
The overall aim of the international collaboration, Eyes on Communication body of work led by Dr Karlsson it to improve communication, play, leisure, social, work and participation outcomes for those with severe cerebral palsy with complex communication needs who need eye-gaze control technology. The specific aim of the Delphi survey is to develop clinical guidelines for eye-gaze control technology implementation, including assessment, set up, communication partner instruction and evaluation to support service provision for children and youth with cerebral palsy.
What is eye-pointing?
Eye-pointing serves the same function as finger pointing. For example, by looking between an object and their partner, a child might signal that they are interested in or want to play with that object. Eye-pointing is described as “The context-relevant, controlled and intentional use of gaze in order to direct one or more partner’s visual attention to any item or object for a deliberate communicative purpose. Other communication modes (facial expression, vocalization, head movement and body position) may be employed, as available, to support the use of gaze” (Sargent et al., 2013).
Eye-pointing in children with cerebral palsy
Children with cerebral palsy affecting the whole body who have little or no functional speech are often reliant on using their eyes to communicate and engage with the world. Some non-speaking children with cerebral palsy use eye-pointing skills effectively, however some children have difficulty using gaze in this way. It can be difficult to observe and describe gaze behaviour in these children.
The aim of our project
The aim of this project is to establish a simple, quick and robust 5-point eye-pointing classification scale to describe gaze behaviour. This will be useful in understanding how best to support children’s communication skills now, while developing new skills for the future. We will also use eye tracking equipment to measure children’s looking behaviours.
Our study is designed to assess eye-pointing in children who have: (i) cerebral palsy affecting the whole body; (ii) little or no functional speech; (iii) a developmental age of approximately 9 months to 6 years; (iv) chronological age 4 to 10 years.
