A few weeks ago we took you to Stella Maris for the donation of a tablet and voice app that helped two non-verbal little boys gain a means of communication with the wider world.
And, today there was a second donation with an impressive 7 tablets donated. It's all thanks to private donors who saw the potential impact of the first tablet and wanted to lend a hand.
I headed back to Stella Maris to get an up-close look at the app that's giving a voice to even more voiceless young Belizeans. Here's more:
There was a celebratory air at Stella Maris school this morning as 7 kids sat in anticipation of brand-new tablets. And while that would be a cause for excitement for any child it was especially so here because these tablets are a means by which these kids, most of them non-verbal, will gain a voice. And that's all thanks to the executive chair of Autism Belize Christy Almeida.
Cherisse Halsall "Christy we're back at Stella Maris because you were able to give out seven more apps from private donors. Tell me about that process and how that happened. It was pretty amazing, the day after the story aired, I got a call, a message from a parent. How much are the things?"
Christy Castillo Almeida - Executive Chair, Autism Belize "And I was like okay I'll get back to you and she's like no I'm in cellular world right now in Belmopan I want to buy this, what's going on, and so I called Avril and she's like oh we didn't even set up this arrangement yet because I just didn't expect the immediate response, and then since then I've had people that have called and I say you can go straight to cellular world and buy the tablet and the app or just make a donation for the app."
And Christy's goal is much more than conceptual, today we got to hear the stories of some of the kids who are getting a much better chance at an education because of the app. Kids like Tajah Thompson whose mom says she sings well but struggles with her words.
Katrina Copius - Parent "She'd repeat things. She'd say the word, like she'd say it backward and sometimes she knows what she wants to say but she'll say it in her own way, right."
Cherisse Halsall "So how do you feel that the app and the tablet will help?"
Katrina Copius "Because she knows to sing and she knows all the songs them, she knows to sing everything. To socialize she knows what she wants to say but she can't put the words together."
Karema Arnold - Principal, Stella Maris "Tajah is on the spectrum, the autism spectrum. And this device will help her in better communicating her thoughts, her feelings with parents and with her teachers, whoever she comes in contact with. So this device will help her with progressing her intellect and to be better able to express fully her desires, his displeasures and all this. So, we know that this device will help Tajah to be more, this will be her voice. This is her voice. She has some speech but we want her to kind of steer it more, so she can communicate more and be understood when she communicates. I'm very thrilled, I'm thankful and I'm sure the parents and the teachers feel the same."
Joshwan Longsworth is also getting a tablet and his access to language will be instrumental in improving not just his school but his home life.
Joy Longsworth - Parent "I think it will help him much better because most of the time he does his sign language, and I can't understand him. So i guess the app will help him, I guess the tablet will help him so that he can show me what he really you know wants to do or whatever so."
Cherisse Halsall "So, you haven't been able to learn to sign?"
Joy Longsworth "No because I think it's too hard, I prefer to talk."
Cherisse Halsall "So how has that been at home navigating finding out what he needs when you're literally speaking two different languages?"
Joy Longsworth "Yeah, because most of the time I tell him to come and show me what he wants, when I can't understand I tell him to come show me and then he shows me what he wants."
Cherisse Halsall "And then how do you feel about that once-a-week appointment that you'll have with the pathologist to help you help him learn to use this app? Well, it'll help both of us. It'll help everybody in the house."
Karema Arnold "Joshwan is a very dynamic child, young man, a very dynamic young man, and I'm sure that with this now, his mom will be able to better, he will be able to communicate better with his mom to tell her what's going on with him and what's his desires as I mentioned earlier and his feelings and she in turn will be able to use the same device to communicate back with him and then to build that relationship and like I said to have his communication skills evolve."
But those skills won't improve on their own. Parents will have to have a once-a-week session with a pathologist. It's a class designed to teach them and their child how to successfully use the app. Christy says sticking to that schedule can be challenging but she also shared how rewarding it can be.
Christy Castillo Almeida "Even when I signed up I'm like oh gosh I have to like, mark this in my calendar so I don't forget, you get busy and life happens but once you start seeing progress you can get excited about these things you know. I get excited for Wednesday night because I can say Matteo said this today or Matteo did this with his Ipad and that is really that motivates the parents to keep continuing too because if you put in the work with your kids, you will see progress. And that's something as a special needs parent, you learn It's the small steps that you have to celebrate every time, it's not about oh my kid is doing this, this, and this. It's my kid did this today and that's great."
If you'd like to reach out to donate either a tablet or an app you can read out to Christy Almaeida at 613-4170
