Fundraiser for an iPad, Case and Warranty for Austin Primer

We are fundraising for an iPad for Austin Primer. Austin is a 10 year old boy with Autism. Austin is non verbal, he has been through several talking devices. He has the most success with the iTouch and Proloquo2go. The downside to the iTouch is its size. Austin many times has to go back because it is to small and he hits the wrong PEC. An iPad would make navigating Proloquo2go easier and give Austin a better chance at success at communicating with his friends and family.

Austin would also need a case. iAdapter is getting good reviews for protection and the fact that it has built in speakers. You can also hide the home button so that you can't leave Proloquo2go which Austin often does on the iTouch. Not being able to leave the program will also help Austin be more successful.

Even with the best case we would also get a SquareTrade.com warranty to protect against damage.

Thanks for reading, hopefully donating, and passing along our link to anyone who you think could help Austin.

iPad story on Good Morning America

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/parent-debate-ipads-smartphones-teach-toddlers-read/story?id=13626381

I think there are flaws in this “news” story. The small blonde girl was NOT READING, she was matching. The story asks if these apps teach kids to read. NO THAT app teaches letters and matching, a clearly appropriate skill for her age group.

Also the difference between this and TV is TV is passive, this is not.
Now I am not saying this should be a babysitter any more than TV should but it can be a useful learning tool when used appropriately.

Also I encounter this all the time with parents about how their child will not give something up or stop doing something. As a parent to 4 children, age 21, 19, 11, and a child with Autism age 9. Just say no. You are the parent, BE THE PARENT!! (but I regress and this is another blog)

As the parent of a child with Autism GMA should do a story on how iPad's, iTouches and apps are changing our children's world. There is an awesome mom, in San Diego, Janine Boleda of Good Karma Apps who is changing the world of children with Autism with her inexpensive apps. many companies are making apps and charging parents an arm and a leg for them, but not Janine. She is doing it for quality of life for our kids not to make a profit. Every $ she makes goes back into the next app she creates and not her pocket!!!

GMA should do a story on Janine and no I am not her, just a huge fan!!!!

If you agree, please go comment on GMA’s story.

Augmentative and Assistive technology with Proloquo2Go, the +'s & the -'s from a Parent Perspective

Due to some awesome new apps, kids with Autism are now having access to inexpensive augmentative and assistive technology through companies like proloquo2go and good karma applications. In the past devices that spoke for children who were non verbal ran between $5000 and $10,000 and had to be covered by school districts and insurance. They were time consuming to get paid for and unfortunately were not user friendly or parent friendly. Parents were dependent on Speech Therapists to program the devices. They were also huge. It was like carrying a mini lap top with you at all times.

Today that has changed; unfortunately most school districts and insurance companies will not cover an iPhone or an iTouch because those are considered luxury items and not tools for communications. You can get the proloquo2go covered by flex spending if you have it. You can not get the iTouch or iPhone covered.

I have found some down sides to the iTouch, for one the games! The games are great to help with the fine motor, but they are also a distraction, Austin would much rather play games then use the device as a communication device. At school they are seeing much more success then we are.

The next issue is there is really no great case for the iTouch to protect them from a kid with Autism. Trust me I have bought many and I have not found any case that comes close to the OtterBox for the iPhone. I honestly hope the Otter Company takes the iPhone design and adds an external speaker to it. It would be a god send to our community. For that matter it would be great for anyone with young children who just use the iTouch for games.

The last issue will hopefully be resolved with the latest addition of the iTouch in the fall. It is the lack of a camera. One of the awesome differences between the $5000-$10000 and proloquo2go is the ability to make a talking PEC at a moments notice. Literally I , the parent, are not dependent on a speech teacher, I don’t need a computer or fancy program, I can make a new icon in under 5 minutes.

So after talking about these concerns with my friends who do not have a child with Autism, I was offered my friends old iPhone for Austin. She is giving me her phone and I am going to separate Austin’s toy from his Speech device. We will only have proloquo2go and First Then on the iPhone. On his iTouch we will have all the games he knows and love and it can be a much valued toy like I discussed in my April 10, 2010 blog.

We further discussed figuring out a way to get old, but working iPhones donated for local San Diego families who can’t afford them. My friends at PSHelper have generously offered to offer 40% off any plugin on their website when you send your used iphone or itouch to us to give to kids in the San Diego area with Autism. Use code "donate40" at checkout, they will contact you shortly after your order is received. There is no bigger generous offer then someone who can give the gift of speech to a child with Autism. This cuts the cost in half for parents who already pay so may expenses out of pocket, things that insurance does not pay like Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, ABA, RDI, Biomedical, the list goes on and an on.

By donating your old iPhone or iTouch to PSHelper, not only can you earn a discount you can help a child with Autism access his or hers voice through assistive technology and help parents who can’t afford such technology on their own.

I would encourage you all to PITAup and ask the same thing of your local friends who do not have a child with Autism to donate their old iPhone or iTouch to a child with Autism. Maybe we could make this project nationwide and make the gift of speech nationwide! So go out and PITAup, change the life of a child with Autism, the life you change, just might just be your own!!!

*Please note any links that are in green and underlined twice are being linked by the blog, and are not being linked by me and do not represent anything I am promoting.*

Big Shout Out!!!

Now don’t fall out of your chairs, I feel a compliment coming on here. Ok that part is not really that shocking, it’s for whom the compliment is for, that may surprise you.

I want to say how much I really and truly love Austin’s teacher this year. Her and the teacher of the 3-5 grade Severely Handicapped classrooms at Hope Elementary are outstanding.

Our teachers are so awesome because they are fundraising for every child in their two classrooms to have iPod Touches loaded with Proloquo2go and other apps on them. Ok every child except Austin. Austin is already getting one through the school district, even though it might be next year before we actually begin using theirs and stop using ours. (Rolls eyes, got to love the School district and how long purchase orders can take).

While to me this kind of action is not surprising, I think it may surprise many. I think a lot of teachers get a bad rap. Now I agree there are some bad teachers out there, I have had one or two, Mr. Hoyle comes to mind (I know all you CBAD grads are now laughing to yourself and hearing his monotone voice say, “Get rid of it”), but I think most teachers get into teaching for all the right reasons. Being the wife of a teacher I might be a tad prejudiced though.

Teaching is truly the worst customer service job out there. Not only do you have to please the parents, the students, the principal, and the public, you get to do it while being underpaid and in the times of budget cuts having to worry about losing your job. If you are a special education teacher or have any special education students in your class, you also get the worry of being sued personally if something goes wrong with implementing FAPE and IEP’s.

In customer service you generally only get to hear how you are doing, when you are doing it wrong. So today your PITAup challenge is to look and see if you have one of those hidden gems of a teachers, teacher’s assistant, or any school district employee who is doing an exceptional job and thank them. Maybe pick up a thank you card or some treat for them, but at the very least say it out loud to them and if you can within ear shot of their boss.

So to Liz and Michelle, I just want to give you a shout out and say thanks for all you do for Austin and all his classmates!!!

Until next time PITAup!!