Community Corner
Hands-on iPad Workshop This Month for Special-Needs Children
Via-West recognizes the benefits of these user-friendly tablets as communication and learning tools.
Editor's note: Since this article oritinally appeared, due to the popularity of this class Via Services announced it opened up an additional session on March 26 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tech-savvy consumers aren't the only ones who get a thrill from the iPad. The user-friendly tablet is being recognized as a communication and learning tool for children with special needs.
According to a Wall Street Journal article on Oct. 13, 2010, iPads "have unforeseen benefits for children with speech and communication problems."
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Via Services, for one, did not miss a beat in recognizing those benefits.
On March 26, Via will share its knowledge of how assistive an iPad can be in a hands-on workshop designed for children with special needs and their parents.
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Via Services is a private, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities and special needs in Santa Clara County.
This is Via's second iPad workshop. The first one was for parents and caregivers of people with special needs. About 150 people attended the three-hour session, where they learned about the iPad's potential for in-home education.
After the first iPad workshop, Via received a grant to buy 20 iPads, which enabled the organization to make the next workshop an hands-on experience for 20 attendees.
The workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions: The first is for parents and caregivers only, and the second session is for parents or caregivers and their children. Child care will be provided for the first session by Via West certified counselors.
At the workshop, each parent or caregiver will use an iPad for the full three hours while receiving classroom and individualized instruction by Danielle Samson, an expert in the field.
In the meantime, a number of Via West counselors and Via special-ed clinicians who also have been trained on the iPad will serve as teaching assistants.
Given the availability of only 20 iPads, registration is limited to 10 sets of parents or caregivers and their children, and one child per family. There is a charge of $95.
To sign up, contact Molly Young at myoung@viaservices.org or by calling her at 408-243-7861 x214. The workshop will be at the Via West campus, 13851 Stevens Canyon Rd., March 26, from 9 a.m. to noon.
