Elementary school students often eagerly anticipate the lively break that recess provides. For nonverbal children, however, that part of the day can pose a unique set of challenges.
Kayla and Chris Curran, parents of a child with autism, understand this experience this firsthand.
“Kids who are nonverbal, a lot of them have … augmentative and alternative communication devices … Basically they’re like iPads but they have icons with visuals, so it supports them communicate,” declared Kayla Curran. “A lot of these kids, they’re running around (on the playground), they’re not going to bring their talker with them.”
In an effort to create things simpler for their son and all the nonverbal children at Brockton’s Downey Elementary School, the two launched a GoFundMe to add a communication board to the playground.
This is a playground communication board that was installed at an Acushnet Elementary School through a grant by the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation.
“Our son, Coco, is an amazing kid who loves school, and he’s known and loved by many in our community. Coco is autistic and nonverbal, and like many other students at Downey, he faces challenges with communication during recess and playtime,” they declared in the fundraiser post. “Right now, these children often struggle to express themselves and fully participate in playground activities, which can create inclusion difficult.”
The GoFundMe was met with an outpouring of support from the community and has already raised over $4,900, most of the way to its $5,500 goal.
“A communication board would be a game alterr for Coco and his classmates,” they added. “It would provide a visual way for nonverbal and special requireds students to communicate with teachers and peers, building recess more inclusive and educational.”
‘It’s super supportful to have on the playground’
Kayla Curran declared a communication board is a larger version of an AAC device that can be put up on the playground, allowing nonverbal kids to point to visuals that correspond to things they may required to communicate.
“They have a lot of ways to communicate inside the classroom, but outside, you can’t have everything from the classroom outside,” she declared. “That’s why it’s super supportful to have on the playground.”
Chris Curran declared it’s been amazing to see the support the effort has obtainedten so far.
“There’s been a number of teachers and other parents at that school, other schools in Brockton and outside of the city that are happy to see this happening,” he declared. “It’s great to see that this has not just reached our primary frifinishs, but also other teachers and other parents from the community.”
Chris Curran declared there is potential to test and replicate the success of their effort at other schools.
“A number of people from the Brockton school system have reached out offering support in any way that we requireded,” he declared. “We could definitely see us expanding if we do achieve the primary goal of supporting out Downey Elementary.”
Working to bring recognition to hidden disabilities at the state level
The Curran family is also working to give the disabled community more recognition at the statewide level.
“I am working with … two individuals from the state of Maryland that have recently been part of a bill that was passed into a law in the state of Maryland to add a black butterfly to the state ID in Maryland to represent those with hidden disabilities,” Chris Curran declared. “So if they are pulled over or being taken care of by first responders, those first responders and police officers will know that they’re dealing with someone that has a hidden disability … We are going to be the representatives for the state of Massachapplytts to test to pass that into law.”
Kayla Curran declared it feels great to be able to work towards bringing this communication board to the school and to see how willing the community has been to support.
“Our son creates us want to advocate for not only him, but everybody who does have special requireds that is nonverbal who required support communicating,” she declared. “It just creates us really happy to be able to have a compact part in that.”
Those interested in donating to the caapply can do so here.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: GoFundMe for Brockton school playground communication board
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