My special needs students need a variety of speech generating and alternative/augmentative communication devices, including 12 GoTalk One Message Talkers, a Talking Bubble Busy Box, and 2 No-Touch Talkers.
Our classroom serves about ten students ages 14-22 with multiple special needs. These special needs might be cerebral palsy, autism, mitochondrial disease, motor neuron disease, chromosomal disorders, Down Syndrome or other types of low incidence disabilities.
The students are hard working and bright from a variety of ethnic, economic and family backgrounds. They are bussed from many surrounding cities and towns in two different states because local programs could not provide for their unique combinations of special needs. Most of the students are wheelchair users, many are hearing and/or visually impaired and all have some level of communication impairment. Most of the students in my class are non-speaking or have limited verbal skills due to complex physical disabilities. Yet all of my students have something to say!
What my students need most is a way to communicate their message. Sometimes they just need to say "hi" and other times they need to ask for "help" and other times they need to tell me what the main idea of the second paragraph of their reading assignment is, but they always have something they need to say.
There are many communication devices on the market. Some students own their own, others are in the process of being evaluated for a device, others are between devices or are waiting while their device is "in the shop". Not having a device is like having long term laryngitis. Imagine what it must be like to not be able to communicate!
Back up communication devices, donated by you, could be kept in the classroom for students to use during these times. If we had many different kinds of devices of with many different levels of complexity for students with different types of needs we would always have something for everyone.
Your generous donation can make sure students always have a way to get their message across!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Ahern and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.