Modeling, or the use of Aided Language Stimulation, has been shown over and over to be a critical element in the acquisition of augmented language and device competence. Teachers and Speech Language Pathologists need access to the same tools and equipment that students are using, in order to reap the greatest benefit from their modeling. BSD provides electronic communication tools to over 100 students throughout the district, but did not have the means to provide their teachers and Speech Language Pathologists with equivalent tools and materials in order to model language and device use for these students.

Last year, Phase 1 provided SLPs with iPads and the augmentative and alternative communication apps that are used by many of the students into the hands of teachers and speech language pathologists which has fundamentally changed the way they are able to support learning. 

This year, Phase 2 helps all classrooms at the elementary school level have a dedicated Modeling iPad per classroom, plus the most widely used AAC apps. It expands the availability of Modeling iPads to reside not only with SLPs who support our specialized classrooms, but provides the teachers of these classrooms with a device. SLPs travel from school site to school site bringing the Modeling iPad with them. Teacher based Modeling iPads would remain in the classroom and with the teacher throughout the year.