E D U C A T I O N A L
P H I L A N T H R O P I C
WISCONSIN BRANCH
January 31, 2010
Wisconsin Branch of
the King's Daughters and Sons Fund within the Community Foundation for
the Fox Valley Region pays for kids with autism to use an Apple iPod Touch
Eight iPod Touch devices boost communication
From The Appleton Post-Crescent
APPLETON — A charitable society born in the 19th century is providing 21st century technology to assist Appleton middle and high school students with autism disorders.
A $2,000 grant paid for eight Apple iPod Touch entertainment devices and accompanying software that will help students with autism disorders communicate better, track incentives for good behavior and know what the day ahead holds for them.
The grant came from the Wisconsin Branch of the King's Daughters and Sons Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
It was among $16,745 in grants awarded from the Wisconsin Branch fund in November and $4 million awarded from various Community Foundation charitable funds to 276 charitable organizations during the last quarter of 2009.
"I am very excited," Sarah Hall, a speech and language pathologist with the Appleton Area School District, said of the support for a pilot project using iPod Touch technology.
The devices can use 34 software applications specific to assisting with autism disorders, and more sure to be written by therapists, teachers and parents, she said.
Devices costing at least $2,000 have been required to translate a nonverbal child's keystrokes into spoken words. They can be replaced by a $200 iPod Touch, which also does many other functions, Hall said, among them, a compact way to provide students with a record of their day's schedule.
"Kids on the autism spectrum do better if they know what's coming," Hall explained. Many carry around bulky binders that reassure them about their schedule, but make them stand out even more as different. The binders can be replaced with a device popular with their peers. "The 'socially appropriate' factor is huge," she said.
The Wisconsin Branch of the King's Daughters' endowment fund supports Fox Valley charitable organizations that provide services related to autism and literacy.
While the national organization dedicated to children's causes still may carry the image of a "ladies' aid society" of old, Erin Mielke, president of the Wisconsin Branch, said it is active and relevant in the Fox Cities. Members come from a variety of occupations and range in age from 20s to late 70s, she said.
Founded in the New York City home of Margaret Bottome in 1886, King's Daughters has more than 1,100 members in 47 circles nationally (see correction below). The Wisconsin Branch consists of eight circles — six in Appleton, one in Neenah-Menasha and one in Kaukauna — plus a Junior Circle with members from Appleton's public high schools and Xavier High School.
"We are stewards of a large amount of money and we take that responsibility seriously," Mielke said.
"The Community Foundation has been a tremendous asset for us. Their expertise in managing our funds and our grant and scholarship distributions is invaluable. We are very satisfied and proud to be able to do this kind of charity work."
Additional Facts
King's Daughters' grants
The Wisconsin Branch of the King's Daughters' endowment fund also awarded
these grants recently:
Appleton Area School District, fine motor kits, $1,500
Best Friends of Neenah-Menasha, afterschool mentoring, $1,000
Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley, leveled reading books, $3,000
First Book-Fox Valley, expanded outreach, $1,000
Fox Valley Literacy Coalition, Adult Basic Education and English Language Learners, $2,000
Fox Valley Sibling Support Network, Sib Shop, $2,245
The Building For Kids,
Early Childhood Literacy, $4,000
Correction: Please note that The King's Daughters and Sons has over 5, 000 members (not 1,100 members) in over 200 Circles throughout USA and Canada.
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