Learning to Communicate: More Beverly Families Get Help

This year North Shore United Way made its first Youth Innovation Grants, focusing donor funds on finding and expanding innovative solutions to the problems faced by local youth. The funded programs began this summer and fall, finding new ways to reach youth and improve their lives.

One of two funded programs was a grant of $15,115 to the Northeast Arc to extend a Touch to Talk program into public elementary schools in Beverly. Ten families of children who are nonverbal or have very limited speech have been identified to participate and, along with school personnel, have received preliminary training. The students’ specific communication evaluations are being reviewed in order to program the iPads they will receive to meet each child’s specific needs. A second training to set up the devices for each child and orient parents and school personnel on their effective use is scheduled for early December.

At its meeting on November 20th, the Beverly Rotary Club announced it will give $5,875, matching the program portion of the North Shore United Way grant to reach an additional 10 families.

For families of children who cannot speak, the iPad represents hope. Newly developed communication apps allow children on the autism spectrum to share their needs with parents, teachers, and participate more fully in their education and community. Children will have their own device loaded with the appropriate software. The adults who interact with them will be trained to support the children as they learn to communicate more effectively at school and at home.

“Communication is a basic human right. That’s why we at Northeast Arc are so thankful for the support the North Shore United Way and the Beverly Rotary Club have provided to bring Touch to Talk to Beverly school children who need alternative and augmentative communication assistance,” said Gloria Ricardi Castillo, Co-Director of Northeast Arc’s Autism Support Center.

For questions about Touch to Talk, contact Northeast Arc.

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The Beverly Rotary Club is a service organization made up of professional woman and men who share a common goal. That goal is “service above self.” This is the Rotary motto worldwide, and is the foundation of all we do. With over 100 members, Beverly Rotary Club is the largest club in our district. More at beverlyrotaryclub.com

The North Shore United Way invests almost $1M each year in local causes to transform lives and improve communities now and for future generations. NSUW is all about local impact by rigorously vetting and supporting dozens of programs that serve children, families, and seniors in eight North Shore communities, including Beverly, Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich, Essex, Manchester, Gloucester and Rockport. More at nsuw.org.

The Northeast Arc helps people with disabilities become full participants in the community; choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize and play. The goal of the Northeast Arc is to ensure that children and adults with disabilities are able to live, work, engage in civic life and play in the community, offering a wide variety of programs including Autism Services, Day Habilitation, Deaf Services, Early Intervention, Employment Services, Family Support, Personal Care Assistance, Recreation, Residential and Transition Services. More at http://ne-arc.org/

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