Visual Attention to Print During Shared Reading With Children With Rett Syndrome: The Feasibility of a Remote Research Protocol

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the feasibility of using telepractice to conduct research on visual attention to print during shared reading with parents and their children with Rett syndrome. The primary purpose was to assess the feasibility of using telepractice to support the setup, calibration, and use of researcher-provided computers equipped with specialized technology. A secondary purpose was to assess the impact of remote training on parents' use of print referencing and children's visual attention to print during shared reading. Method: A laptop equipped with eye gaze technology was shipped to two mother–child dyads. Researchers used remote, synchronous practices to support the mothers in setting up, calibrating, and using the technology as they read e-books with their daughters with Rett syndrome. The dyads engaged in business-as-usual shared reading of e-books while recording the child's visual attention to print. Mothers then completed synchronous remote training on the use of print referencing and read six more e-books, incorporating print referencing and recording the child's visual attention to print. Data were analyzed to compare the frequency of mothers' print references before and after the training and the frequency of child's visual attention to print before and after their mothers completed the training. Conclusions: The remote, synchronous approach was successful. The two mothers successfully set up and used the specialized technology. Furthermore, they increased their use of print referencing after completing the training and their children had resulting increased visual attention to print. Implications for future research and practice are described.