May 2023 | Vol. 23 Iss. 05
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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
U
sing a spoon, riding a tricycle, exploring on the playground, even learning to do a somersault, may be typical traits for youngsters, but not for Klaus Sloan. Like many of his peers, Klaus attends preschool four mornings per week. There are bright toys, a colorful rug and innovative games to play. However, Klaus was born with numerous fragile, complex medical needs. He sits in his wheelchair with a bright purple neck support pillow as he is unable to hold his head up on his own. Klaus is nonverbal, but according to his teachers, he wants to communicate and express his thoughts the same as any 4-year-old. Klaus attends Jordan Valley’s preschool, which helps 3- to 5-year-old students receive severe special education services. His class has about 80% of the students receiving special education services; the other 20% are peer models, said his teacher Rylee Barstow. “It’s really awesome and a unique part of our programming in Canyons School District,” she said. After his teacher and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s outreach teacher of the visually impaired Madelyn Stafford tried several adaptions for Klaus, Stafford reached out to Debbie Inkley, the executive director of The Opportunity Foundation of America, to see if EagleEyes would be a possibility for Klaus. EagleEyes is different than many communication devices since it doesn’t use eye tracking. “These kids don’t have purposeful head movement; their heads go either right or left or down to their chin, so they’re unable to use their eyes to track,” Inkley said. The Opportunity Foundation’s Director of Training Ron Williams, who was helping Klaus with his third 30-minute session, said Continued page 13
The Opportunity Foundation’s Director of Training Ron Williams and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind’s outreach teacher of the visually impaired Madelyn Stafford help Jordan Valley’s Klaus Sloan communicate using EagleEyes technology. (Julie Slama/ City Journals)
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