COLORADO SPRINGS — Some preschoolers who struggle with verbal communication in Colorado Springs now have access to a tool to help them with speech and language challenges. Ting Internet donated 15 I-pads known as alternative communication devices, to the Community Partnership For Child Development (CPCD).
Steven Lewis, the CEO and President of CPCD said their mission is to educate, equip, and empower children and families. CPCD runs the Head Start program in preschools for vulnerable children and families.
“Early Head Start program is ages 0 to 3, Head Start is from 0 to 5 and we have universal pre-K, which is unique. We offer 30 hours or 15 hours blended into our Head Start programs as needed. I think that we are unique because we have comprehensive services wrapped around the child's needs, meaning that we not only look at taking care of the child's needs, we look at the whole family as a comprehensive program,” Lewis said.
The donated iPads have three different special apps loaded onto them that help students communicate with their teachers. The devices are available to preschools in school districts 2, 11, and 20.
Alyssa Knight is CPCD’s lead speech-language pathologist.
“So I come in and I work with the students that have language issues. Like they don't understand what we're saying to them, or they can't verbally tell me what they want,” Knight said.
She helps students in multiple Colorado Springs school districts who are nonverbal, or who struggle with speaking.
“When we first had these students in her classroom, they were very, I don't know if they're just they had a lot of behaviors, and they were really frustrated because they couldn't say, like, I need to go to the bathroom. I'm hungry or I'm thirsty,” Knight said.
Knight said it is difficult for some students to communicate their needs to their teachers. She said this would cause students to get frustrated and act out.
“They would throw stuff, throw themselves on the floor because I say they don't know how to tell you,” Knight said.
But a new technology tool is cutting down behavioral issues and helping students more effectively communicate with their teachers,
“These devices/iPads, where they have a program on it, an app that we press the buttons and then it talks for them,” Knight said.
There are different categories within the apps that students can select to help communicate their needs. For instance, they can tap on a picture that will verbally say, “I need a drink of water” or “I need help” or “I feel sick.”
“Now they're able to press the button and say, I need to go to the bathroom, I am thirsty, I want a certain toy, you know, and they really just have a lot more success,” Knight said.
She said students are learning the language a lot faster.
“You hear it, you touch it, you see it and so those are all of your senses. So with all the senses, it's all different parts of your brain that you're using. So then you're really making those connections faster and that those words actually mean something,” Knight said.
CPCD said kids must have a strong language foundation before they start kindergarten.
“Social-emotional development. If we don't get that right it causes tremendous problems as we go to the next levels are the building blocks of learning. So we are really focused on making sure we deliver the most powerful foundational product when they hit the elementary school of their choice,” Lewis said.
The Community Engagement Manager for Ting Internet, Deb Walker, said they enjoy working with local nonprofits in Colorado Springs and are excited to give the I-pads to CPCD.
“It's a core value of ours to invest back into communities and specifically, we have a focus of improving digital equity and digital literacy. So this is a great project. We've been in conversation with CPCD asking about their needs and what might help them just have an edge and helping kiddos. So we identified a shared need and it seemed like a really great project that we can support,” Walker said.
She hopes this will help expand students' digital literacy.
“We really believe that in order to be a full participant in society today, you need good connectivity. You need access to devices, and you need to know how to use them. And so by starting at a really early age, for kids whose families might not otherwise be able to afford such things. We're really excited to help bridge that equity gap,” Walker said.
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