Our students who have severe disabilities have the same desires and passions as typically developing children. They still love to look at books, sing songs, and play. Fine and gross motor challenges have limited their access to books and other activities they enjoy.
Our students at our Exceptional Needs Facility are exceptional individuals with severe disabilities.
Their disabilities affect their cognition, their ability to communicate and talk, to walk, and use their hands and fingers to complete typical classroom activities for learning and development. Many of our students communicate using augmentative and alternative communication devices, sign language, or gestures since they are non verbal. They enjoy listening and participating in singing, reading books, and interacting with their friends and staff.
My Project
The books currently available to the students are mostly paperback and not durable. These books can't be modified with objects to help turn pages (e.g., attached popsicle sticks or other items to grip). These board books would be an excellent start to creating an adapted board book library that the students could access in their classrooms that would allow greater independence in turning the pages and even reading with use of addition picture symbols above the words. These students also have difficulty with auditory and receptive language tasks so they need visual supports to help them understand a story. A storytelling display would allow them to become more engaged in the stories and help them learn and develop their receptive language.
Everyone takes their minds and bodies fore-granted.
I know I did and do. We don't think about how to walk, talk, feed ourselves, read a book, or enjoy a television show. These students struggle each day with completing these tasks because they can't do them as easily as the rest of us. I feel that it is my responsibility to give them the best access to the materials they need to thrive and develop. Thank you for your help and support.
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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. Marsden and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
