My students need an IPad with a speech communication app to help with their communication needs.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Lauria's classroom raised $528
This project is fully funded
Celebrating 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
Do you know what it's like to not be able to communicate? You are trying so hard to express what you want to say and the words just don't come out.
I teach in a school for children who primarily have Autism.
I've got six of the greatest kids you can ever meet. They each have their own personalities and it's amazing to watch them learn, especially when they have the "ah-ha" moment. They do, however, find it difficult to communicate if they don't have the words or the picture that represents what they want to say. They get really frustrated, and that's when the negative behaviors come out. Meanwhile, if I just had a picture of what they were trying to say, all of the frustration could have been avoided. I've set up a board of tons of pictures that represent people, actions, foods, activities, classes, etc. That's only a quarter of what I have up - it gets difficult to organize and go through every single picture if there is something specific that they are looking for, which in turn could lead to more frustration. We are back to square one.
My Project
Having an IPad, specifically with the Proloquo app, will give my students the opportunity to express what they have on their minds. A sentence as simple as "Hi Miss Andrea, how are you?" could potentially lead to an entire conversation about their weekend. When I am teaching a lesson on parts of a plant, they can look for the words, pictures, puzzle, anything on the IPad and be able to answer me when I ask a question. When someone asks where are they going, they can say "I'm going to gym." When it's snack time and they see a Rice Krispies Treat but doesn't know the word, they can look for the picture and say "I want Rice Krispies Treat please." When they are squirming in their seats, they can request for the bathroom.
I want to give my students a voice, something they haven't been able to use.
I want to hear their thoughts and feelings. I want to see their "ah-ha" moment day after day, not just a few times a week. I want to hear them. I want others to hear them. I want the whole school to hear them.
More than three‑quarters of 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
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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 Mrs. Lauria and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
