Clara-Bear's Tech Fund is our way of raising money to purchase an iPod Touch, accessories, apps, and adaptive computer equipment for Clara-Bear to use when she starts Kindergarten this fall.

After using her "talker" for over a year, we have experienced some issues that need to be dealt with as Clara-Bear's school day grows longer and her social experiences more diverse.


We know we are blessed to have the Dynavox V (aka the "V" or her "talker").  In fact, I used to think an iPod or iPad was an uneccessary luxury.  Having community based AAC therapy instead of sitting at a table with a Speech Therapist once a week has been a blessing in so many ways.  It has helped us understand the pro's and cons involved in using this particular speech generating device for Clara-Bear, who still needs a lot of help walking, climbing, and bending over.


The cons became a genuine concern during a class field trip to a farm last fall.  Before we even left the house I realized that we would be outside for 5 hours but the Dynavox only has a battery life of 2 to 3 hours. Oops.  Clara-Bear still needs breaks from the pressure to communicate, so losing access to her talker is not a crisis yet.  But what happens when she expects to communicate and can't?

Clara-Bear can carry the almost 5 pound speech generating device. But she has to be on level ground with no steps and needs both hands to carry it. She falls easily, so for her safety and the safety of the Dynavox an adult carries it for her unless it's a short transition in the classroom.

This means that even when she can socially handle playing alone with other kids, she will still need an adult within arms reach.  Independence is a necessary part of her social development and self esteem, and there is no way to tell when she will be strong enough to manage the Dynavox by herself.

It was actually a relief when the Dynavox battery died during the field trip. Clara-Bear needed a lot of physical support in the fields and unpaved paths of the farm.  Trying to help her and hold the Dynavox where she could reach it left me wishing for a rolling stand with all terrain wheels, or at least a third hand.

Everytime I would lean over her the heavy device would swing on the shoulder strap and smack her or me. If I set it down to help her climb or lift I had to hope for a dry surface and watch out for a classmate of hers who was obsessively trying to play with the talker.


The size of the Dynavox is also an issue.   There's often no room for it when kids are sitting close to each other for activities, when Clara-Bear is in her wheelchair, and in restaurants. It is also considered "her voice" and personal space. This means the games in it are not meant to be shared with another child.

So we have awkward size, heavy weight, short battery life, missed social opportunities, and limited independence.  How will this device fit into long Kindergarten days that include assemblies, playground time, free play, cafeteria time, and field trips?

It's time to give Clara-Bear a more portable way to communicate that can also help her fine motor skills, academics, relieve anxiety when we're in public, and give her a way to play with other kids that doesn't require her to speak. We want an iPod Touch with Proloquo2Go and other apps.

We still plan to use the Dynavox in the classroom and for homework since it's such a strong platform for literacy and language development. With the help of Kim, our awesome SLP who specializes in AAC, the Dynavox and iPod will work together and create a communication and education system that meets Clara-Bear's unique needs.

I applied for a free iPad through the HollyRod Foundation at Christmastime, but I think our application fell through the cracks. Since then we've decided that the smaller size of the Touch will be easier for Clara-Bear to carry in a belt bag.

She would probably like the larger screen of the iPad (and I know my old eyes like the larger size) but the point is to give her something she can carry in one hand and use independently.  I'm more glad than sad that another child got one of the limited number of iPads HollyRod gave away during the Holidays.

I've spent a lot of time researching organizations that give free iPads and iPods to nonverbal children with Autism or other Special Needs.  One thing I've noticed is that not all cover the cost of apps.  Accessibility and communications apps can be very expensive, so extra money would still be needed even if the iPod were given to us.

I like fundraising and, for some silly reason, still enjoy new challenges despite the daily challenges of real life.  I'm going to try to raise the money for all the technology that Clara-Bear needs for communication and education.  This means  a big part of the summer will be spent fundraising. I'm going to try a little of everything and blog about it along the way.

Some of the fundraisers I'm considering are:

• Online donations through Give Forward, a site that lets you create your own medical fundraisers.
• Selling things at yard sales, on EBay, and through Craig's List.
• Holding online sales parties where friends can purchase items from companies like Thirty One. The Independent Consultant will donate a percentage of the profits to the Tech Fund.
• A possible used book and movie sale.
• A  fundraiser with FundGiving, a company that helps you use your talents or stuff to raise money for your cause.

Hopefully, Clara-Bear will have what she needs to rock Kindergarten and communication in place by the end of the summer.    As a bonus, you and I will have an education in personal fundraising, sources of free or discounted iPods/iPads for Special Needs children, the best apps for Special Needs children and how to use them, and in creative ways to turn your goals for your child into reality.  And hopefully, by mid-July, I will get to turn off my brain and enjoy the summer, too!