iPads give nonverbal students a voice

BALLARAT Specialist School is receiving nine new iPads from State Schools Relief, providing more communication opportunities for their nonverbal students.

The iPads will be loaded up with communication applications and given to individuals, to help nonverbal children have a conversation with their peers and teachers, develop their language, sentence structure and vocabulary without physically talking.

BSS leading teacher digital technologies, Caitriona Ferrer said the devices and apps will set the students up for life.

“It gives them the best start possible and they’ll have their voice early,” she said. “It’s giving them an opportunity to have a voice all day, every day.”

Most of the devices BSS is receiving will go to preps, with one child in grade three also benefiting. All nonverbal students use iPads at the school.

State Schools Relief CEO, Sue Karzis said the organisation discovered large numbers of parents with nonverbal children can’t afford educational technology, so began the pilot program.

“There was a big need that could be met with some effort,” she said. “These young people could have a voice, but what’s preventing them from having a voice is the cost of an iPad.”

SSR has donated 180 iPads and hard covers to nonverbal students across the state in this pilot program. They belong to the children, not the schools.

Bank First donated $50,000 and Gandel Philanthropy, $30,000 to assist SSR’s fundraising for this initiative.

The SSR organisation is not for profit and has been supporting Victorian state school students who are unable to afford the educational resources they need since 1930.