AAC device and specialized seating help Utah preschooler with cortical vision impairment participate in class

At the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, Amber, a preschooler turning 5 with a cortical vision impairment, uses an eye‑gaze alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) device and specialized seating to take part in classroom activities, her teacher said.

Jessica Hutchins, Amber’s preschool teacher at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, said Amber is on her caseload and this is “her last year of preschool.” Hutchins described Amber as “fully dependent on adults for all positioning needs,” and said specialized equipment is important for the student’s safety and participation. Hutchins said Amber arrives in a customized wheelchair and is transferred into an activity chair provided by the school so “her body is safe and secure.”

Hutchins described Amber’s AAC device as an eye‑gaze system that the student uses to activate buttons. “It’s like a little computer, a very expensive computer,” Hutchins said, adding that the device runs a language software platform and allows Amber to follow along more fluidly in class.

Rachel Dally, Amber’s mother, said the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind has “absolutely given me a sense of community,” and described the school as opening social and learning opportunities for families. “It’s kind of opened up my community,” Dally said, adding that the program has allowed her to keep learning braille and ASL to communicate with other children and parents. Dally called the school “our own little heaven on earth.”

The school identified itself on screen with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind eagle logo and the URL usdb.org during the recorded segment.