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My Personal Message Did you know that your old iPhone can give a child with autism or developmental speech delay a way to communicate exactly what they want?Many kids with autism or speech delay use pictures attached to a board to ask for what they need or say how they feel. These boards are stored in a book which the user carries around with them. Even if when they begin to say a few words, they may be difficult to understand and so they rely on a growing picture vocabulary which can become very unwieldy. As a mother of a little girl with autism with few words but a lot of pictures, I wanted to keep encouraging her speech development, but I wanted to be sure we always had the pictures we needed, wherever we went. And that is where the iPhone and the Grace App for Autism came in. Developed by Steve Troughton-Smith, with the support of O2 Telefonica, Grace App stores a basic picture vocabulary of Foods, Things I like, Places, Colors, Sizes and Shapes on an iPhone with a function for creating a sentence that can be read together. There is also a facility for taking and sharing photographs of all the other things that each individual user may need. It is a portable means of supporting the communication development of the user, wherever they go and is proving invaluable in improving vocalisations through consistency of use over time. Grace and the other children have also learned to share what they see and photograph independently, as a result of using the App. You can learn more on our blog graceappforautismoniphone.blogspot.com There are a lot of families that could benefit from trying out the Grace App - but they need an iPhone to do it. It is a big commitment for a family who may have limited means, and a lot of demands on their income due to the pressures of raising a child with Autism. But here is a way you can help; Firstly, if you are considering upgrading your iPhone to the newest model, maybe you could think about giving your old one to us. We can restore it to Factory Settings and donate it to your local Autism School or Community Support Group - for all their members to try. You can email me on graceappforautism@gmail.com to arrange collection or call 0860486249. If you don't have an iPhone to donate - you could make a contribution to our fund for purchasing new iPhones to be donated to Autism Groups and Schools across Ireland. Since launching the Grace App, I have spoken to many of the people caring for older children and young adults with Autism - who grew up without the awareness and therapeutic support that is available today. These people may have limited means of developing their independent communication and could really benefit from Grace App and the iPhone. Everyone should have the right to say what they like and don't like - maybe you can find a way to help them out? Thanks for considering our campaign, Lisa Domican |
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About my charity Irish Autism Action's mission is to raise the quality of life of individuals and their families affected by autism through ensuring the provision of the highest standards in education, care, support, employment and equality of living opportunities in partnership with families Click here for more information |
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