By Tanya Steele
A Ferntree Gully School has recently received several iPads for non verbal students to use at school to boost their communication skills in class, at home and beyond.
Eastern Ranges School received the welcome donations from State Schools Relief (SSR) – a Victorian not for profit, and the CEO Sue Karzis visited the school on Thursday 21 March to see how the students were doing with their new devices.
Principal at Eastern Ranges School Sam Silverwood said the iPads will help greatly assist his students with their communication in the school.
“Around 50 percent of the students here use some sort of communication device, like a visual aid or iPads,” he said.
The six students at Eastern Ranges receiving the iPads are in middle to late primary school and early high school, giving them a vital new communication tool to implement in their daily schooling life.
“It’s giving them tools to communicate with others in class and in play,” Mr Silverwood said.
Ms Karzis said she was happy to assist and that her charity had previously identified the need for technology based donations to specialist schools.
“It’s making sure that we’re bringing students up and that they’ve got equal access to communication – that they’ve got a voice and they’ve got agency,” she said.
“This started five years ago and it’s for students and families in need who cannot afford the devices.”
SSR has an established partnership with Bank First and the Australian Schools Canteen Association and has so far donated over 400 iPads, along with supplying kids with uniforms, shoes and other educational resources to students in need.
In the 2022-23 period alone, SSR distributed $7.1 million worth of essential items, including iPads which benefited 452 students.
Since 2016, the not-for-profit has distributed over $45 million worth of essential items, highlighting its significant impact on Victorian communities and Ms Karzis said she would love to see the government and other organisations take on the cause – particularly the iPad program.
“I want this to be sustainable and I’d like to think that this is important enough that someone will pick this up,” she said.
Communication with the devices can greatly assist non-verbal students in engaging with peers, staff, their families and the greater community.
Ms Karzis said that through the donations she has heard beautiful stories about parents hearing for the first time that their son or daughter is hungry or thirsty or even staff being told about health issues like toothache from the children.
“It’s allowing them to have agency but also to reflect their personality – they can show more of who they are,” she said.
“We see incredible growth here and the parents, the parents see the differences – it’s heart warming and really amazing,” Principal Silverwood said.
Speech pathologists who work with the children at Eastern Ranges will now set up the devices with specialised programs, giving the students a personalised device to work with.
Principal Silverwood said that the ideal outcome is that the students can communicate more effectively and by using a communication device students can become more fluent.
“So we want them to communicate in whichever way they can – verbally or through the communication device – having access to these with the support of the speech team can give great results,” he said.
“They’re going to get great use.”
