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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Burgess from Lowell, MA is requesting technology through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Ms. Burgess is requesting

Help, I've Lost My Voice! Can you help me find it?

My students need visual supports, which are created using the software, Boardmaker, in order to access the curriculum and communicate with parents, teachers, and classmates.

  • $534 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Ms. Burgess has another project! Donate to Creative Minds at Work: Inspiring Kindergarten Artists to help her classroom.

$682 - complete this project and be a hero
Help Ms. Burgess

Ms. Burgess has another project! Donate to Creative Minds at Work: Inspiring Kindergarten Artists to help her classroom.

$682 - complete this project and be a hero

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

Several of my students have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD's impairs 3 main areas of development: speech, communication, and social interaction. Imagine spending most of your day unable to get your feelings and thoughts across, or not even being able to understand what is going to happen.

My school is a public school that specializes in working with students that have visual and hearing impairments.

The preschool and kindergarten students I work with have a range of abilities, as well as, a range of disabilities, such as, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders, are legally blind or deaf. They are a rambunctious, friendly, caring, group of three to six year-olds that love to play! They love to explore the classroom and embrace learning new things. It is very difficult for some of my students to look at things unless they are within 5 to 6 inches of their eyes or if they can experience things through touching them. Some of my other students are reliant on visual schedules and reminders as ways to communicate, access the curriculum, or simply follow a routine.

My Project

The resource I am requesting is a set of picture communication symbol software for creating symbol-based communication. The software allows you to create communication boards, sequences and schedules (just to name a few) that are perfect for all students but are most beneficial to my students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Delays. Several of my students have difficulty communicating their needs or ideas. There are some days that one student will not speak at all and will communicate by gesturing. This software would give that student a voice and allow him and other students to access the curriculum and ‘speak’ to others in a more valuable way. Next year this student and another student with Autism Spectrum Disorder move out of the preschool classroom and into kindergarten. Though they will still be working with me, it will be a completely new classroom environment and having the ability to communicate or a schedule to reference will help in the adjustment.

Again, imagine spending most of your day unable to get your feelings and thoughts across, or not even being able to understand what is going to happen, or what you need to do.

To not be able to say to a friend, “will you play with me?” Imagine the lost feeling and how frustrating and stressful it can be to a four-year old, let alone a four-year old with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. These resources can help give these students a voice and allow them to flourish.

Ms. Burgess S Christa McAuliffe Elementary School Grades PreK-2

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Ms. Burgess

Lowell, MA View local requests

Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

6 students impacted 21donors

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Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Ms. Burgess is requesting.

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
SOFTWARE - BOARDMAKER (WIN PC) • School Specialty Inc. $375.31 1 $375.31

Materials cost

$375.31

Vendor shipping charges

 $37.53

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$5.63

Fulfillment labor & materials

$35.00

Total project cost

$453.47

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$80.02

Total project goal

$533.49

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $533.49

17 Donors

-$517.61

Donations toward project cost

-$453.47

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$64.14

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$15.88

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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. Burgess and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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