Eye-tracking assistive technology: Is this effective for the developmental age? Evaluation of eye-tracking systems for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy

In recent years, eye-tracking systems became an important tool to improve the quality of life and enhance the autonomy of persons with disabilities needing alternative input devices. The literature on eye-tracking shows a widespread dissemination of experimental studies mainly focused on the analysis of the cognitive processes involved in visual tasks, e.g. scene perception and visual tracking. However, there are few studies that investigate the implications connected to the use of eye-tracking systems as an assistive technology for communication and rehabilitation of individuals in developmental age. The main purpose of this study is to better understand whether eye tracking technologies might be considered as a valid tool for enhancing communication and facilitating the process of rehabilitation, in order to improve the empowerment of persons in developmental age. The aim of this work is to analyse the interaction process of children and adolescents with disabilities with the eye-tracking assistive system. In particular, the differences between the performance of subjects with cerebral palsy or similar movement disorders and the performance of subjects without disabilities while executing an eye pointing task has been analysed. The assessment of the components involved in the interaction system has been carried out by using both direct and indirect observation techniques. Strengths and weaknesses emerging from the use of the eye-tracking assistive systems in childhood and adolescence with a cerebral palsy or similar movement disorders are here shown.