Integrating the iPad into his classroom!

I am pretty ecstatic right now! They have Ian's iPad in the classroom here at UCLA. So amazing! I was so nervous about this. When they had originally called me to check how many functional words he had and I mentioned the iPad, I was nervous that they wouldn't want him in the program because of it. Silly really. But it's a big deal to try to work with it when you're not used to it. And probably said this in previous posts but I asked every person I knew who had worked, or gone through the program with their little ones, (and that's a lot of people!) and not one remembered an AAC device being used.

This is huge! Now I just need to speak to his AAC therapist about how to best integrate it without making it hugely distracting and being a turn-off for the teachers. We were supposed to have an appt with her last Friday but there was a miscommunication so it's now Tuesday. I'm going to email her about it to get info quicker. I really want it to be a smooth transition so other children can have this support as well. Crazy that we are the first when so many of these kids are non-verbal and their behaviors stem from that frustration.

And I'm so fortunate that one of the moms cancelled her observation time so I get 2.25 hours! I was going to only have 45 minutes because I was late to sign up last week. Need to get in the habit of signing up as early as possible. But was so sad to realize on Friday that I missed the boat, so to speak, and was only able to get really random short time slots. But luckily like last week, I'll get spots that are cancelled. Just like the rest of our life, I'm the mom waiting by the phone to get that last minute cancellation spot because that's how I worm my way into these therapists who are the best, which makes them not available. Good things come to those that wait...