Join the Autism Classroom Project!

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I want to express my sincere gratitude to all who donated to my project. The iPod, combined with the incredible apps built by Brain Parade, has certainly improved the lives of individuals with autism.

I developed vocabulary activities with See.Touch.Learn. One of the vocabulary words was "moon." A student's grandmother reported, at an IEP meeting, that as they were walking in the parking lot after shopping, he pointed upward and said, "There's the moon." This boy with Autism rarely spontaneously spoke! There was not a dry eye in the room at that moment.

My students use the ipod every day for math, communication, reading or as a reward. They are motivated by this little gadget and they love learning using it. It has truly opened doors for students who can not communicate as well if at all. I feel blessed to be able to offer this my kiddos!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Mize

I cannot fully express our gratitude for your generous donations to fund our classroom guided reading library. You have given so many new opportunities to my students by providing reading materials on various topics and, most importantly, at the appropriate reading levels.

My students were so excited when the books arrived and we were able to unpack them all and label them by level! Each week, they are able to read a new book in their small groups and the topics covered are interesting to them. We especially enjoy all of the nonfiction titles with great photographs. Not only do these books help my students with reading skills, but they also help them to access new vocabulary and language. It has been amazing to see how their writing has improved in response to their guided reading texts--with such rich literary models, they are getting wonderful new ideas to write about.

Perhaps the most exciting thing I can share with you is the growth I have seen in my students reading levels. I am so thrilled to say that my Level A books are no longer necessary for my current students! They have all moved on to more difficult texts. I have had a student move from a Level A to a Level C, another progress from Level C to Level E, and others that are showing significant improvement in their comprehension skills. We could not have done this without these materials, and we wouldn't have those materials without YOU. Thank you for believing in my special students and for helping them reach toward their great potential!”

With gratitude,

Ms. McNeill

On behalf of all of my students I want to take the time to truly thank you for the wonderful and very generous donation of an iPad to our classroom. My students were ecstatic with the wonderful news that we were getting an iPad. With out wonderful new addition I have seen a considerable increase in student engagement and desirable behaviors/compliance.

With the use of the iPad I have been able to group my students in pairs during work with teacher time. I have been able to work one on one while reinforcing skills taught using various apps and online textbooks.

I have been able to use the iPad for spelling test in order to accommodate students with weak fine motor skills.

Perhaps the greatest change I have seen has been with behavior. My students are now working on earning tokens in order to earn time on the iPad. With the use of educational apps I know that their "fun" or "break" iPad time is actually spent reinforcing skills previously taught.

Thanks again for your generous donation.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Maturell

Thank you SO much for you generous donation towards my classroom! Your contribution allowed me to start this school year with plenty of materials and activities for my students with autism. Having enough printer ink let me make individualized schedules, communication systems, adapted material, and visuals that my students use every day! My students require an individualized curriculum and I have been able to give them that thanks to your support!

Thank you for supporting autism education and giving my students the chance to learn and grow!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Hallagan

Thank you so much for your generosity and for supporting our project. The shelf has already made a huge impact in our classroom. My students are doing so much better with organization and locating classroom materials. In the past this was really an area of difficulty for them. We have created picture labels for the shelf for added support. The clear bins are such a wonderful component because they allow students to see the actual materials. Students with autism tend to need concrete and consistent areas for their materials and this shelf is the perfect addition to our classroom. THANK YOU SO MUCH!”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Manzano

Our class is so grateful for the ipad you all helped fund! The children are so motivated now and excited to earn ipad time. I have sat with them and showed them how we are extra careful and use it appropriately. The kids are able to play phonics and simple addition and subtraction games. They can work with a partner or work alone. Sometimes I pair 2 children up who don't often and all of a sudden they are laughing and playing nicely. It has really transformed our room. We also use it as behavior modification often. Sometimes everyone is distracted or tired and all I have to do is say "I'm looking to see who is going to earn ipad time...." and all of a sudden the whole class is sitting up and raising their hands. I am so thankful for all you have done for us.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Battino

I would like to thank each of you for donating to the students that I teach, that have Autism. Without your kindness of your donation, the students would have much more difficultly learning and enjoying art. Students are able to use special scissors which help them, as well as myself and assistants in classroom in assisting them to learn how to cut. Using the special paint tubes, allows them to be creative and have instant success once they begin painting. The students love the new supplies and the smiles on their faces prove that it is making art more fun for each of them.

Thank you for caring, and contributing to our classroom. There aren't enough words to express my gratitude, and the joy and excitement that I see in the success of my students.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Swindell-Thaxton

Thank you so much for being generous with my students. Most of the students that I serve have not had access to an iPad until now! They love having access to this type of technology and it helps so much with learning. Most of my students asked for the applications that they like, such as, angry birds.

We are using specific Autism apps to learn social skills. One app in particular is called "between the lines." It shows video examples of body language, tone of voice, and non-verbal cues. They can play in groups and it also keeps track of the right and wrong answers. It has changed how I am able to teach these skills, and it's awesome!

My students immediately ask me if I have my iPad with me when they come to my room. I am able to motivate and inspire my students with this technology that I haven't been able to do before. Thank you again for being willing to provide my students with tools for learning.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Strickland

My students cheered and are very happy about having the new Pad in our classroom. They couldn't wait to use the new addition to the classroom. The students are using the new resource the Pad with educational games and working on new skills. Many of the student lack fine motor skills to write and other daily skills, but with the Pad the students can use their fingers or pictures to communicate to others. The project boost my teaching and student's learning by giving students a chance to work independently, which gives me more of a chance to work with other students. The students use the new Pad daily in the classroom and it gets much use. Thank you everyone who donated to my project. You helped make a difference in my students lives.

Thanks, Martha Maples”

With gratitude,

Ms. Maples

Thanks again for your generous donation to my project. I can't fully express my joy, excitement, and appreciation for your support to my project. It is great to see that you understand how important communication is for others.

The tools that you have funded will enable my students and me to create the material they need to communicate with others. Each student will be able to select individual pictures, print those pictures, and add them to their communication books. These tools will also allow me to create visuals for the classroom such as a picture schedule or picture recipe for the students to use. In addition, we will be able to print materials and pictures for each child to take home and share with their families.

We will start using the ink, laminator sheets, and Velcro right away. Thanks again for your help!”

With gratitude,

Ms. Gast