- Description:
Please support our campaign to bring a communication-accessible playground to Delaware Elementary! We are raising funds for an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) board, a vital tool that will be installed on our school’s playground. This innovative board features a grid of symbols and pictures, allowing students with complex communication needs—including those who are non-verbal or have limited speech—to express their thoughts, wants, and feelings. By providing this resource, we can ensure that all children have the opportunity to communicate and connect with their peers while playing. A playground AAC board will not only foster inclusion and social interaction but also empower our students to engage fully in outdoor activities. Your contribution will help create a more inclusive and joyful environment for every child at Delaware Elementary, giving them the voice they deserve on the playground. Thank you for helping us make communication accessible to all!
- Need Represented: This project will meet a critical need for communication and inclusion on the Delaware Elementary playground. For students with complex communication needs, the playground can be an isolating space if they are unable to express themselves. The AAC board provides a vital tool, giving them a voice to communicate their needs, wants, and feelings with peers and staff. This promotes social interaction, enhances safety, and ensures that every child can fully participate in the joy of recess, creating a more connected and equitable environment for all.
- Academic Impact: The AAC playground board will serve as an outdoor learning tool, directly impacting students in the following ways:
- Language and Vocabulary Development: The board provides a visual vocabulary for playground concepts (e.g., "swing," "slide," "up," "down"), helping students learn new words and their meanings in a natural context. This supports their overall language acquisition and expressive skills.
- Literacy and Symbol Recognition: Using the board helps students connect symbols to meaning, a foundational step for literacy. For many students, this reinforces the concept that pictures and symbols represent words and ideas, which is a crucial pre-reading skill.
- Generalization of Skills: The board allows students to practice communication skills learned in the classroom or in therapy (e.g., using AAC devices, requesting, commenting) and apply them in a new, real-world setting. This ability to generalize learning is essential for academic success and independence.
- Social and Pragmatic Skills: By facilitating communication with peers and adults, the board helps students practice vital social skills such as turn-taking, initiating conversation, asking questions, and problem-solving, all of which are critical for effective classroom participation. - Student Population: This project is designed to support the diverse student population at Delaware Elementary. Our school is home to six Intensive Support Classrooms (ISC) serving students with a wide range of complex communication needs. While these students are the primary beneficiaries, the AAC board will also be a valuable resource for students in our Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) and Wonder Years programs. It will also benefit our regular education students by providing a tool to communicate and build connections with their peers, fostering a truly inclusive playground environment for every child.
