Printer for Communication Materials for Nonverbal Students (Remote Learning)
Help me give my students access to essential, customized materials to express their wants and needs at home during remote learning.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Lauren's classroom raised $418
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
I work with early-elementary students with special needs. Primarily, I work with autistic* students diagnosed with "severe," nonverbal, ASD who are working on life skills (toileting, communication, social skills, early academic concepts, dressing, etc.). Specifically, I am a specialist that provides ABA services to my students, working with students, their families, and their teachers directly to provide support for socially significant behaviors.
I have been working with special needs students since 2013 and I can't imagine doing anything else---this career is truly my life's passion.
Because my students are considered high-risk in terms of skill loss and regression; mental, emotional, and physical health challenges during both in-person and remote-learning during COVID-19, this situation truly is lose-lose for everyone involved.
(*Autistic individuals, at large, have expressed a preference for identity-first language; so I am working to adjust my language to meet these needs. )
My Project
I primarily work with *autistic children who are 3-6 years of age, nonverbal, and working on life skills such as communication and fulfilling basic needs. Most of my students are working remotely due to the pandemic, which is truly not an ideal solution. My students are young, do not have the skills or stamina to navigate attending to and/or using computers for extended periods of time, and providing support remotely requires a lot of troubleshooting and creativity on my end.
By funding this project, you literally help me give my students a voice-- it truly is that simple.
If you are unfamiliar with the types of supports most of my students use, they mostly consist of picture icon symbols, often arranged in a board format, which a student points to in order to communicate their wants, needs, and preferences.
Continuous access to a printer is required for my position, in order to develop materials for the students I work with; having a personal printer of my own, will allow me to work on creating individualized materials and supports as the need arises in my own home, without delay.
Thank you so much for reading, and for considering my project, which truly is more of an investment. Funds donated to this project will not only be an investment in my current students' wellbeing and communication, but an investment for when school returns and the numerous students I'll have the pleasure of working with in the future.
Thank you,
Lauren
(*Autistic individuals, at large, have expressed a preference for identity-first language; so I am working to adjust my language to meet these needs.)
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 Ms. Lauren and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
