ipads

Some time last year my friend Nicole and I started talking about ipads. How our boys (her son Nicholas is 8) use them, learn from them, are drawn to them. Both our boys visit By Your Side for therapy and use the ipads there as well as at home. Then we started talking about how the school does not use ipads with the CSI program they boys are in and that everywhere you turn there is an article or news spot about ipads and Autism. Why does the school not use them when they could draw so much out of the students with ipads? What can we do to make the district see what they need to do to keep up with technology and new strategies for teaching kids on the Autism spectrum.

We hatched a plan with 6 other moms from the class to raise enough money for 8 ipads and present it to the school.  Nicole sent a letter of intention to the Special Ed Coordinator and Superintendent by letter and a meeting was set up to to discuss what we were expecting from the school district.

At first it appeared we were met with skepticism.  The Superintendent liked our idea of keeping up with technology and was interested in what we had to say but he was unsure of the importance ipads held in the future education of our children and didn't share our enthusiasm.  It seemed as this was going to be an uphill battle for us.  We were told the ipads could not come from funds raised outside of the school and that all the kids, not just the special ones, would need to be taken into consideration.   Frankly, Nicole & I were not concerned with the typical students who could pick up a book or ask for help when it came to learning but we were hopeful in the end it would be clear this was what was best for our kids especially.  By the end of our meeting last October it had been decided a committee was going to be formed to test out the ipads and share ideas on how they can be used in the classroom.

After months of waiting and many phone calls we were contacted for another meeting to discuss where the district was at regarding the ipads.  I just found out that same day that a boy from Mitchell's class was being sent out of district for school and I honestly thought "well there goes our funding!"  We went into the meeting prepared for the worst but willing to sick to our guns.  What a shock we got.

Turns out not only was the superintendent totally excited about the feedback he received but he had done a 180 himself on where he felt the ipads would lead us and the district as a whole.  It has been decided there is enough money in the budget to buy 30 ipads per district building - that's 180 ipads, 6 of which are going to our class.  The plan goes on to add 40-50 per building each year moving forward.  He was thankful to us for opening his eyes on this subject and giving the district the push they needed.

On June 26 it will be presented to the board and expected to be approved.  The ipads will be purchased and training will begin before to beginning of the 2012-2013 school year.