Wednesday, July 20, 2011

iPad giveaways for kids with special needs


Months ago, I said I'd give away an iPad here, paid for with a fee I'd received for attending a salon on social media for social good. This seems like a fine time to give away an iPad 2 to a kid with special needs, along with a Proloquo2Go speech app. The folks at Care.com—a place for finding caregivers for kids, parents, pets—have generously donated another iPad and Proloquo2Go app (I've done work for them). So we will have two iPad winners.

The iPad and Proloquo2Go have opened up Max's world; he's been able to communicate in ways that he never could before. Right now, I'm working with his speech therapist at school to add sentences. Here's Max using the app for his favorite topic of conversation, spaghetti (what else?), and what his best bud likes to eat:


Each winner will receive:

• One iPad 2 16GB with Wi-Fi in your choice of black or white (valued at $499).


• One Proloquo2Go speech app (valued at $189.99).

• One iPad Smart Cover in a color of your child's choice, based on available colors ($39).


To enter to win an iPad, leave a comment below about how you believe an iPad and Proloquo2Go speech app could benefit your child. No need to get into detail, just share what you want.

Each winner will be asked to provide a letter of need from a speech therapist or doctor in their child's life. The letter from the therapist or doctor must include her qualifications and contact information so that he or she can be called to verify that, indeed, the recipient is a child in need of an iPad and speech app.

This giveaway is open until Tuesday, Aug 9, 2011 at 11:59 ET. It is open to U.S. and Canadian residents 18 and older.

RULES OF ENTRY

• Valid email address required. I need that so I can reach you if you win, as my ESP is not up to speed. So if your email is not visible on your blog, you will need to leave it wth your comment. If there is no email, your entry is disqualified.
• One entry per family, please.
• No entries accepted past the deadline.
• Other blogs and sites are doing iPad giveaways for children with special needs, including a4cwsn and Mission iPossible. If you happen to win an iPad both here and elsewhere, I respectfully request that you voluntarily bow out of one so another child in need can get an iPad. Think: karma.

WINNER DETERMINATION

• I will choose two winners via the website random.org within 24 hours after the giveaway is closed, and this post will be updated to include screenshots from random.org of the winning comment numbers. I will email the winners at that time.
• If I do not hear back from a winner within seven days, another winner will be chosen.
• If a winner does not produce a letter from their child's speech therapist or doctor within two weeks of being informed of the win, another winner will be selected.

GETTING THE IPAD/APP/SMART COVER

• Each winner's iPad and Smart Cover will be ordered within one business day after I confirm information with the child's therapist or doctor. The iPad and Smart Cover will be shipped directly to the winner. The arrival dates will be based on Apple's estimated arrival time.
• I will email the iTunes code for the Proloquo2Go app directly to the winners.

Word, the IRS requires that you report winnings from sweepstakes.

Good iLuck!

UPDATE: THE WINNERS

After narrowing down the qualified entries and counting them, I selected the winning comment numbers via random.org. The winners of an iPad, Proloquo2Go and Smart Cover are Sandra (#117) and Kristine (#41).


The winners have been notified by email, and have two weeks to send in a letter of need from a doctor or therapist.

This couldn't have been a merit-based give away because all of our children deserve iPads and speech apps. The comments here are so moving; I've read and reread them. I wish I were Oprah and I could say, "Everyone, look beneath your seats!" For now, I hope you will enter the iPad giveaways on other sites, and encourage your school districts (if your child is school-age) to consider getting your child an iPad and speech app. I also hope that others who read this blog now understand just how much of a need there is for iPads for kids with special needs—and can find ways to help. I will be thinking on more ways to get iPads into the hands of kids who could use them. Thanks again to Care.com for their generous donation.

256 comments:

  1. My son Spencer is 13 and has significant speech language issues (along with NVLD, ADHD and psychosis non-specified) I believe he is locked inside himself,unable to learn or make friends. More than anything I want to find a way to help him communicate with teachers, friends and family.

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  2. My son Sam is Autistic and non-verbal. He attempts to speak at times but severe apraxia prevents anyone but me from understanding him. I have been hoping to get an ipad for him to use Proloquo2go, simple games and ABA flashcard rpograms. I AM on the mission ipossible list so should we be lucky enough to get one from either source, we will withdraw from the other list of course.

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  3. Sorry to interupt but I just wanted to say I think it's awesome what you guys are doing!! I love reading the posts about how much the ipad really helps Max and others. Awesome job mom & sponsors!! God bless you!

    CharLuvsAbby3@yahoo.com

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  4. My son Jack is pretty verbal and has no need of this give-away. I just wanted to say how wonderful it is that you're doing this and how much I enjoy your blog. Go, you!

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  5. Quite simply, I would love to bring a smile to my sons face. Conrad is 9 yrs old and is on the autistic spectrum and life is one big long struggle. It would be so nice to make him smile by giving him an IPad.

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  6. I'm so glad you're posting. And YAY for another one!!!
    I have been waiting almost 5 years to hear Addi's voice. To know why she's hurting or for her to be able to tell me what she wants. I'm hopeful this new technology could be HER voice!

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  7. For my friends son Nick, he has CP but loves Yankee baseball and golf. I think this would be a great to immerse himself in both. Both seeing and learning more about the things he loves while working to improve his dexterity.

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  8. My guy Collin has little to no fine motor skills, so something with a touch screen could be life changing for him. He's non verbal, and we've forever been madly curious as to what his thoughts are. I can't count the amount of times we've said "if only he could tell me.......", and this could be his chance!

    Stephanie
    thepinksters@att.net

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  9. I think in IPad would open up a whole new world of possibilities for my six year old daughter Zoey. She is non verbal, but has had great success with a GoTalk.

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  10. My son is 3 and non-verbal. This would be amazing for him to be able to take his PECS on the go! He has Autism, Speech apraxia and a host of other conditions. He is starting preschool next month and we've been worried how he will communicate with his teachers.

    Thanks so much for the opportunity!

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  11. My 3yr old son was just diagnosed with Severe Apraxia of Speech on May 25th. His SLP has talked about how IPads help some Apraxic kids with their therapy. I can't afford to even get a used one for my son so I hope that he could possibly win this one. I feel it would help him progress so much.

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  12. My son, Luke, is struggling to find a way to communicate. Right now he is very frustrated. I know he has a lot to say as he makes a lot of sounds is very loud, but unfortunately he is the only one who knows what he is saying. We used signs with my daughter who has severe apraxia, but he does not seem to grasp them. I think an Ipad would open up a whole new world for him.

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  13. Hello my 5 year old son, Tyler has severe apraxia of speech and autism. He is starting kindergarten in September and with the help of generous people like you to offer helpful tools to benefit our kids I think he will be even more successful. Thank you, Kelly
    Kaclauer@gmail.com

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  14. Thank you for hosting this giveaway.

    My son is 10, has Down Syndrome and significant speech impairment. He is experiencing a lot of negative behaviors because of communication impairment. Our OT has recommended that we look into an AAC device for him.

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  15. How lovely of you to include a Dr note instead of a ST note. My son is often underestimated because he has trouble generalizing. We will never geta device through ST because they won't test him in his classroom where he actually uses the device. The take him to a new environment and watch him stim on the devices and say he can't use them. My son will be able to communicate at home if we win. He will need a bit of training from Mom to generalize the skill but I know he can do it. Most importantly his Dr understands his problem with getting a device and will write you a note. :) MY son has down syndrome and autism and is non-verbal. He has been using voice output and PECs for years with a field of 1-3. e-mail is linked.

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  16. My son AJ is turning 7 and currently we use an old fashioned Talk box that has limited functionality. This package would really help open up things for him and allow hime to interact more with the world! Thank you so much for putting together opertunities like this.

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  17. You are doing a wonderful thing! My son is 3.7 and non-verbal with severe Apraxia. We live in a very small town with no therapy available near. (actually we are considering moving because of this but with no jobs anywhere, what do you do?) Stryder often looks on You Tube for sign language videos, and yes, he does that all by himself, so I think an iPad would be amazing for him. Thank you for the chance to win!
    Angela
    angela@stryderslist.com

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  18. Is this for US residents only?

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  19. Love that video! Max is doing a great job with the app. I am so amazed at how easily he gets from screen to screen and love how he is using that pointer finger!

    My daughter Emily will be 4 in October. She is non-verbal and just started to work with some communication devices this year (at therapy). She has done an amazing job so far and I would love for her to have something she can use at home, school and out and about. I know she is anxious to have a voice and I am dying to hear what she has to say! Perhaps an iPad is the right tool to make that happen. :)

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  20. Thank you for this! My son, Jackson (4 y.o.) has Down syndrome, but also has a sever speech delay due to apraxia. While he uses signs to communicate many of his words are hard to understand. I think these tools could really be helpful to him.

    Rebecca
    rebecca . susan . roth (at) gmail . com

    (sorry to put my email like this but I don't want it to get picked up for spam, just take out the spaces, thank you!)

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  21. Hi My name is Cyndi and my son CJ has Childhood Apraxia of Speech! He is verbal at this time but is hard for others to understand him. He is 5 years old and starting Kindergarten in September. We have been told to try him in a functional classroom despite the fact that testing when done non-verbally show that he is on track for development and cognitive functioning as far as what he could show non-verbally. We have been looking into getting him an Ipad for the awesome speech apps they have including the speech tutor. I am hoping that the speech apps will help him gain his voice so that others can understand him and he can prove all those who want to push him into functional wrong!! I want him to be as successful as he can be and believe all the apps available on the ipad will help him be successful. Thanks for your consideration!
    My email is csg0623@gmail.com

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  22. My 4 year old son was diagnosed with severe autism and is not verbal. I think the iPad would really help him to communicate and would therefore reduce his behavioural issues which stem from him being frustrated from being unable to communicate. This would open up a whole new world for him! Thanks so much for the chance!

    daniellep54 at gmail dot com

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  23. My son is almost 4 and non verbal. The iPad2 would be great for him. The ability to take photos and upload directly to Proloquo2go would be fantastic.

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  24. My daughter Emily is 2 and would great benefit from an Ipad. She has Infantile spasms and is globally delayed. She has just spent 3 months in a spica cast and we are getting a stander now that her hips are healed. An Ipad would be wonderful to use while in the stander, speech, vision, and OT could do many things with her. Emily is beginning to progress with her fine motor and I would love to be able to help her progress even more! Thanks!!

    ericarollins80@yahoo.com

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  25. My twin boys are both non verbal at age 3 and a half, one has cp and the other has autism. Winning an iPad for them would help them in their development.
    elida.n.mark@live.com

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  26. My son is 12 and heading into Jr. High. With his CP, having another tool to help him with his fine motor skills and communication would be invaluable. Thanks!

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  27. My son has an ipad but is not ready for proloquo2go...yet. So we wont enter the contest.

    I just wanted to say that Max is doing fanfreakingtastic with the speech app! He is such an inspiration.

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  28. I am writing on behalf of a family that I support that has 3 children with autism and 2 are totally non verbal. The mom is a single mom and currently has 2 of the 3 at home with her as she tries to cope. The little boys do not speak but one of them has had the opportunity to use his EA's daughter's IPAD and is able to communicate using it. He loves to use it when he can but of course would benefit so much more with his own family's one

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  29. My son is 4 and has mild autism, sensory processing disorder, and ADHD. He is verbal but his expressive communication isn't as good so he gets frustrated and his other behaviors (throwing tantrums, being angry. screaming, etc) come through because he can't communicate his wants and needs easily. He has been in therapies since 1 1/2 and special ed preschool since age 3.I think that an Ipad will help tremendously with his fine motor skills and communication. thank you for this great opportunity to whoever wins this I wish all good luck.

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  30. My son, Ethan, has severe apraxia - oral and speech. He's been working with Early Intervention since 17 months old, dx with apraxia (and SPD) January 2011 and now we're working with PROMPT therapist. Preparing for the IEP meeting and preschool as he turns three this November.

    This iPad and Prologue app would be so beneficial for my son, as well as the other deserving applicants.

    Thank you for this giveaway!

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  31. My son Baily is 9 and a half and has Downs Syndrome. He has a very tiny mouth with a high pallet and long tongue that makes his speech sound like he is speaking another language all together. He knows and understands so much and he is so often frustrated by our lack of understanding what he means. I would love to really KNOW what he is saying and not just guess until either I am right or he is tired of me being wrong and gives up. I am also tired of feeling like I am just patronizing him we he is obviously telling a funny story or joke and I laugh not knowing what I am really laughing at. He has so much to talk about and I really want to hear what he really is trying to say. Thanks for this awesome chance. Ashley
    angelboogybear@yahoo.com

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  32. What an incredible giveaway this is. Thank you, Ellen, for continuing to help and support this community. My son is verbal, so I won't be entering the contest -- I just wanted to commend you for continually supporting the kids and their parents.

    Tara

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  33. My daughter Zoe has autism and sensory processing disorder, and is severely delayed in speech and has some echolalia issues. She responds well to gadgets that encourage her to speak. My daughter Amelia has Down syndrome and has some echolalia but has a hard time speaking appropriately and clearly. Games and videos thrill her and she responds very well to anything interactive. I think an ipad would be a great fit for both of them.

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  34. My two sons, ages 4 1/2 & 3 both have apraxia, the oldest with moderate-severe. Winning this would help us out by downloading apps to help them learn speech info!

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  35. My youngest daughter Abigail is diagnosed as being "globally delayed", in that her mental and physical skills are a few years behind where society thinks she should be.

    She's gone from not speaking, to speaking well, but still a long path to go.

    One of the things that's helped Abbey along the way is using computers. She has learned how to spell by watching youtube videos, and searching for Sonic the Hedgehog on the web.

    We had her using an old laptop, but that has now bit the dust, so her computing time has been limited.

    She would be blessed by having an iPad.

    Thank you very much for being open and sharing your stories with all of us!

    Mike

    mikemlmailbox-11@yahoo.com

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  36. Awesomeness Ellen! Austin was recently diagnosed with Autism and an iPad would help him communicate (I hope). We have trialed one and it went fairly smoothly, but one of his own would be awesome. I know there is so much more he could do. :)

    sneakpeekatme at gmail dot com

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  37. Oh wow, we would love one for our two girls with Down syndrome to share. Evangeline, age four, is adopted from Ukraine and seems to also be on the autism spectrum along with having Down syndrome. And of course, my sassy five year old, Polly, also with DS, could probably figure the thing out faster than me :).

    Thanks Ellen!

    www.gillianmarchenko.blogspot.com

    gillian@rcn.com

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  38. My 3 year old daughter has autism and global developmental delays. She does not speak or sign, but I know she can understand a lot. I would love to see if an ipad could help her to communicate.

    bluemoose@cableone.net

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  39. My 13 year old daughter Nesha has Trisomy 10, she was never supposed the live to be 6 months old due to a very rare genetic disorder. She has a trach and is nonverbal. She has been using PECS since she was about 4 and had temporary use of a Dynavox. She played with her therapists IPAD and had it figured out in about 10 minutes. She is medically fragile and is unable to attend school, recieving all her services at home. She is a character, she knows what she wants and is so frustrated when we cant figure it out. With a Ipad she could communicate with her 10 brothers and sisters, 11 nieces and nephews,teachers, therapists and the community. She could also play her Country music videos, which she dearly loves! She is our miracle, please help her communicate! Thank you for considering us.
    Linda Hope - Rodeomoma@aol.com

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  40. My son's vocal chords were fused at birth and although they have been surgically separated, he struggles to make sounds. I loved watching Max communicate his thoughts and would love to give my son the same opportunity.

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  41. I do not need an I-Pad. I do need to hear more from Max on his I-Pad. That was wonderful. He has worked so hard to learn how to do this. Thanks for sharing. I have a big smile on today.

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  42. My son Hugo is autistic and non-verbal and has begun to communicate with us by using PEC cards. I would love to have an IPad with Prologuo2go for him to use with his ABA and speech therapists.

    Thanks for doing this.

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  43. My son hs Autism and is also non-verbal. An iPad would help him communicate with his peers and open up a whole new world for Patrick.

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  44. I have 3 sons with Down Syndrome, one homegrown and two adopted. My homegrown son, Ralph, has amazing receptive language but struggles greatly with speech. His frustration breaks my heart because I know he wants to communicate his needs, wants and ideas.

    Thanks!
    Stephanie Nance
    www.ralphcrew.blogspot.com
    nancefamily8@cox.net

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  45. I feel a little sheepish coming out of the woodwork now as a reader, but could you blame me? ;)

    We have been holding off on a iPad for our daughter Georgia for now good reason. But you know, the cost, and is she ready, etc. We can't keep beating around the bush about this one though. Whether we win one or bite the bullet, I really think she needs one. She is starting to become more verbal, but her speech is difficult to understand for anyone who is not a family member--even then...it's a stretch. She is a very visual learner though and LOVES technology. I think an iPad will open up a whole world of communication and learning for her! Thanks for doing this! :)

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  46. How wonderful, Ellen!

    Our son, Jakey, is 10 and has been diagnosed with CP and secondary Autism. And, although he struggles with speech (echolalic mostly), he is a genius with electronic devices. We know that this is an avenue for us to enter into his world and bring him into ours.

    Our other son, Finny, is 2 and has been diagnosed with dev delay and has the markers for Autism. He is non-verbal.

    Therapists for both boys have expressed how much they would both benefit from AAC devices or an iPad with an AAC app.

    Best of luck to everyone! (We will definitely bow out if we end up with an iPad through other means.)

    debwalk@gmail.com

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  47. How exciting! I love your blog and have read it for years now. My daughter would LOVE an iPad. We have an iPhone and it's just too small for most of the ABA apps.

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  48. My grandson "Buddy" is 3 1/2 and had a brain hemorrhage at birth.He has cerebral palsy and mild microcephaly. He has come so far with his therapist and school helping him. He is one determined lil guy and this would help him so much with his communication skills. Thank you for this giveaway! jlegault@nc.rr.com

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  49. Great idea for a giveaway!!! I have 5 year old identical twin boys both are non-verbal with Down Syndrome and PDD Autism. They are getting older and more aware of things they want and it is really difficult for us to communicate.. We have been thinking hard about getting an iPad but finances are not there for us right now. It would be wonderful to win this, but I will be extremely happy for whoever does. Thank you for offering such a valuable gift to someone :)

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  50. My daughter is 5 years old and has Angelman Syndrome. She is non-verbal and is currently learning PECS. I know this program has been successful for other children like her. I would be elated to give her this opportunity.

    jdangel525@msn.com

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  51. My little man Kai could greatly benifit from an ipad 2 and an communicaiton app.

    Kai looks like the other child. But sadly he has lived with a lot of silence and a great struggle to communicate. Kai has numerous special needs including, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, Disruptive Behavior Disorder, and Childhood Apraxia of Speech; amongst other things. He also has a rare disorder of his pancreas making it hard for him to digest certain types of foods.

    Kai's main issue is his lack of communication. At age five, Kai speaks at an 18 month to 2 year level. His two year old sister speaks more then him. He has a very limited vocabulary give or take 50 words. Some words he will say one day and we will not hear again for months, if ever. (he has a big history of regression in speech). And a lot of Kai's peers and the rest of the world just do not understand what he is saying.

    We never heard our son say I love you nor half the time know what he is thinking. It is sad knowing my son has so much to say but no way of putting it into words, We can only imagine the amazing stories in his head that he wants to tell us. We have relied on his amazing smiles to know he is happy, his whimpers to know he is sad or in pain, his whines to know she is irritated with something. It has been amazing to connect with him on such a level that we almost feel a bit psychic at times! It has also broke our hearts when we can not figure out what is wrong with him when he is crying. We have always been of the belief that every milestone is a miracle and we are eager for the next milestone in his life; communication with the world. PLEASE help us give Kai the voice he deserves.

    Thank you for such a great giveaway and giving two lucky people the chance to finally have a "voice" for their children.

    Kari Smith dotcomkari@yahoo.com

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  52. Oh how I wish you guys had my program there. It's in Canada and you only pay a rental fee ($20 is what it is right now) for the device. They also assess you and provide other suggestions for free (well included in your provincial health care tax dollars). If you are in Canada (specifically Manitoba or NorthWestern Ontario, I'm not sure about other places). Their link is: http://www.wrha.mb.ca/prog/cdp/services.php Sorry to all of the People in the States. I wish I could do something, wave my wand..or something..it makes tears almost come to my eyes...

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  53. My son David is a former 24weeker who has CP and a global delay. He is a smart cookie, but has trouble getting his thoughts from his brain to his mouth. I think the iPad would help him to find a new way to communicate and make him so much less frustrated.
    alang@triad.rr.com

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  54. Our son, Nehemiah has Tuberous Sclerosis, LGS and autism. He is 7, non-verbal and delayed. His seizures have robbed so much from him. His little brain is COVERED in tumors. WIthin in the last year he has gone through 2 brain surgeries. It is within the last 3 months that he are finally seeing his personality shine through. I know in my heart with the help of technology he is capable of so much!!
    alana4n@yahoo.com

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  55. I am actually an SLP specializing in EI, apraxia, and autism spectrum disorders. I have followed your blog for a while and frequently pass on your wonderful insight to my parents. My sweet friend recently emailed you on my behalf, because she knows I've been desperately wanting to purchase and iPad for therapy, but since I am fairly new in private practice and my husband has been without a job for a while, I haven't had the extra funds.

    If rules allow, I would LOVE to be considered for this give away, even though I am a clinician. If I won this give away, I would use the iPad as a diagnostic and therapy tool. It would enable me to reach out to my precious patients and their families in ways that I've not yet been able to accomplish. I have seen the iPad be successful in therapy (my co-worker) and I have seen sheer joy on the faces of both patients and parents. I would love to be able to offer that same joy to MY patients!!

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  56. Can I nominate somebody else? My Avery has spastic diplegia, but no communication problems, so she doesn't need one, but it would be an AWESOME tool for our little friend Owen (fetalhydrocephalus.com), who doesn't have one yet! He is deaf (cochlear implant) and has only a few signs/words, so I think that this could really turn out to be an awesome tool for him.

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  57. What an awesome thing you are doing, you wil surely change a few children's lives, maybe more if people follow your lead! I I could afford to I would jump on the band wagon with you in a second! My daughter is 3 and has been using her iPad with the proloquo2go app for over a year and a half, she navigates it with no problem has since we got it and we have helped friends get the same program for their son with autism and on the first night he ordered chicken nuggets all by himself! This is a great app! We are very blessed our daughter has come a long way and is now able to make herself known with out it, she still has a long way to go but she sure is getting it! I give lots of credit to this app because she was be able to listen to numerous things over and over again when she was supposed to be napping and it got her into the world of communication at the very beginning of our process of therapy! Who ever wins will be very lucky, it would be great if you could send all of these requests to apple and see what they can do about giving away some more to some wonderful kids who as the saying goes deserve a voice! You are doing a great thing! We are not entering but hope everyone who needs one figures out a way to get one they are amazing! Good luck to all and again amazing thing you are doing!

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  58. My daughter's therapists use the ipad with her, and I've seen her do things that I've never seen her do before. It has been a great tool to get her to communicate because she enjoys it so much - would LOVE for her to have one at home and work on while the therapists aren't here.

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  59. Our daughter Janine has Cri du chat syndrome and is affected by severe apraxia of speech and fine motor delays, amongst many other issues. We had applied for that "other" giveaway that wasn't, but missed the cut and were hopeful for the second round. Wish we hadn't held our breath for so many months! Janine has been using various apps at therapy appts and at school, so we are still hopeful to get our own so that we can have some consistency across all her settings.

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  61. I am so excited about this giveaway! My daughter did a trial wil an iPad and Proloquo2go. It worked very well and we would love for her to have one of her own. My daughter is 4yrs old and has global delays. Most serious is her speech delay. At last assessment she had the verbal ability of a 1 yr old.Thank you for this opportunity!

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  62. My daughter is 2 and still non verbal. She has a rare metabolic disorder that has also caused her to have CP. I know speech therapy is in her future. I hear this program is great! Thank you so much for the opportunity

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  63. My son Vinny has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. He is 3 years old and non verbal. Most children with this syndrome are non verbal. The I pad would allow him to learn how to express his wants and needs easily. I feel that it would help with potential autistic behaviors as well as this would give him a way to express himself with out the behaviors. Thank you for always having an amazing blog!!!!

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  64. What an amazing giveaway Ellen!

    As you know I have 2 sons with severe autism. Sam is 8 and does quite well with a computer, keyboard and mouse but his younger brother Noah, age 6, struggles greatly with the motor skills needed to manage them. Noah is also much less verbal than his older brother and nearly 100% of the speech he does have comes from scripts. Words cannot describe what a big deal an Ipad would make for him in communicating his needs to his family and caregivers at school.

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  65. OMG! I am so excited to enter this giveaway! I SOOOO need an Ipad for my two year old daughter. She saw one in the waiting room of our Speech Therapist and she just couldn't be pulled away. She started playing and talking more than I have ever heard her do before. She loves things that are "Self directed". Her speech therapist was jealous! She even let a friend of mine guide her hand to teach her Angry Birds. I have never been able to guide her to learn anything. I am guessing she is going to be tech nerd, much like her mom and dad! Thanks Ellen for this great giveaway!

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  66. Hi Ellen, I think what you are doing is fantastic!! My daughter Hannah is 16 years old and is basiclly non-verbal. At school she is able to use an I-Pad that has that app on it that talks for the kids. But unfortunatly she is not able to take it home. At home we try to use her PECS but she would rather not be bothered with it. I wish I could afford to get her one, but with us being a single income family that's just out of the question. Maybe with god willing Hannah will be lucky enough to recieve on of these. I think what you are doing is GREAT! I know that one of those at home would make Hannah's life much easier for her. Thanks again!

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  67. My son has Fragile X Syndrome (mental retardation,autism, ADHD,sensory affective disorder, speech delay). Someone, I don't even know who, gave us an iPad about 2 months ago and it has been a miracle. Anyway, if I am allowed to nominate someone else, I would like to nominate my friend Kristie and her two boys who also have Fragile X. They are the first family I met on the Internet who reached out to me and has helped me through this journey. Her boys have significant behavioral and speech problems and an iPad would help with both issues, as many behavior problems stem from being unable to communicate their thoughts and feelings. They are a remarkable family and have such a positive attitude about life - I would just love to be able to help them in some way. She has a blog called lifewithmyxmen.blogspot.com.
    My email is theotherlion@gmail.com.

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  68. First, I want to thank you for this special giveaway! It is so generous of you. Given the crazy response we see here, I think you already know how many people have kids who could use ipads for their special needs kid.

    My son, Quentin, is 4 yrs old and non-verbal, PDD-NOS. As his twin sister Fiona puts it, if he had Aladdin's lamp, he'd wish to talk. My boy is affectionate and sweet, but so frustrated with his lack of voice at this point. He's such a cutie, though. Here he is about 10 months ago: http://youtu.be/j1TA_GYNltU

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  69. oops... forgot my email! melmor (at) gmail (dot) com

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  70. My daughter is 2 with hydrocephalus, cp, CVI, hemiparesis, IS, and epilepsy. My son is 5 and has SPD. We are in the process of adopting a 3 year old with a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate. An iPad with Proloquo2go would be a game changer for our family! We are on the Mission iPossible list as well. :)

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  71. Hi,I'm a speech therapist who has been working with an amazing little boy who would benefit immensely from receiving an ipad and proloquo2go. He is hearing impaired and has cerebral palsy and is non verbal. Over this year he has learned how to use a picture communication system, first with pecs and then with an ipad at school. However he cannot take the ipad home, and it will not be going with him next year. He loooves anything to do with technology (even wii!) and his family would be so excited to be able to communicate with him using the ipad.
    Eli.
    elijelly2001@yahoo.com

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  72. I would love to enter my two kids here. I found the outpouring of kindness amazing from all of the SN families. My son lost his hearing during a 8 month stay in the NICU due to NEC and my daughter has CP. They can both communicate, so I'm not sure how much the Proloque product would do, but the Ipad has so much more to offer and that is why I would like to enter them.

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  73. Chloe would thrive using an iPad and accompanying software! Thanks for the chance to win!!! manntar@hotmail.com.

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  74. I have 3 year old twin boys, Ethan has right side hemipalegic CP and speech delay and Owen has no diagnosis but has speech delay as well. I believe both boys would benefit from an iPad. Thank you.

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  75. My son Zane is 4 1/2 with a condition known as Lissencephaly. He in non-mobile,non-verbal, visually impaired, and moderately deaf. Our therapist has begun to work with him with the IPAD and he LOVES it! He loves the sounds and bright colors. At school they were working with him on simple yes and no questions and he really seemed to put his answer out there. Even though he had the complications I named above I know that with the IPAD he can make his voice be heard in a way that we would understant.

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  76. I'm not entering the contest, but I'm surprised you weren't able to do this giveaway with Mission iPossible -- the wonderful non-profit started by Ken and Heather in response to the scam/debacle of Marissa's Bunny.

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  77. My son is 3 years old and has verbal apraxia. He has so few words, and I feel the iPad would help him with his frustration when we just can't figure out what he's trying to tell us. It would also help so much in preschool where he doesn't try to talk at all.

    notgonnaanswer@gmail.com

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  78. I have two boys (7 and 5) with ASD. I'm a single mom that is currently unemployed and buying one for them is not in the cards anytime soon. Winning one will change life for them and open so many new doors.

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  79. My son, Miles is 9 years old and has autism. He has been doing well and making gains, but seems to have hit a wall. I have heard about the awesome programs that can be used with an ipad. I would love to bring him a new level of 'help' to see if we can break through this wall! sometimes, I feel like what he needs to say is right there on the surface and he just doesn't have the means. I would love to have this tool to boost his learning curve!

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  80. My twin sons, Lincoln and Wyatt are almost 3 years old, diagnosed with Autism at 2. they have recently started using iPads at school (YEA!) and it's been a big help since they are mostly non-verbal at this point.

    Thank you for hosting the giveaway, I'd love to be able to just buy them but co-pays come first :(

    erinclot@gmail.com

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  81. So I forgot to leave my email (I will delete the other comment if I can)

    My 8-year-old Luke has autsim and is non-verbal (among other ASD stuff :-) He is doing great with PECS but PECS is slow. It is time to move on.

    jdoll at mail dot win dot org

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  82. My son Rhys is 8 years old with Cerebral Palsy of unknown etiology and Cortical Vision impairment. He has an iPod Touch, but it is too small for him to operate on his own. I think the size of the iPad willhelp enable him to utilze this technology more independently.

    Thanks for such a great site Ellen - you speak so many of my own thoughts, but more eloquently!

    jwilli14@twcny.rr.com

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  83. My daughter, Jadeliz, has Down's syndrome and is turning 13 next month. She has been able to imrpove her speech with the wonderful support of her teachers and the techhnology provided by her school, such as the Smartboard. I know Jadeliz would continue to enhance her communication and problem-solving skills with the touch screen technology, in addition to the colors and speech enhancement provided via the I-pad. Thank you for the chance to help all of us improve our children's futures and commiunication skills.

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  84. In addition to my previous post about Jadeliz I wanted to include my email. . . maraliz2@yahoo.com

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  85. My son KC has autism and epilepsy. He is verbal, but he has some pretty serious processing issues. He currently has low breath support and low tone which makes it difficult for him to be understood when he talks. His ST believes that this is one of the major roadblocks to helping KC reach his full potential. By the time he thinks of something to say, processes it and actually gets it out, and then is not understood, he melts down and becomes violent towards himself and others. I just want to allow him to tell me what he knows, and what he thinks so he can progress instead of continuing to regress.

    Karen

    karen92778@yahoo.com

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  86. My 14 yr old son has CP which effects all four of his limbs. He is unable to speak verbally and only myself and a couple close members of the family can understand his grunts and cries.
    With my son being a teenager and his body going through changes, there might be things or circumstances he wishes to tell me but has no way of communicating these things to me. Therefore for that one simple fact, I believe my son (as well as myself and his other caregivers) would hugely benefit from an ipad.
    I think this is a great giveaway and whoever wins will be truely grateful for the opportunity it may bring to their child. Thank you Ellen, you have a hard choice to make..and good luck to all contestants!

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  87. My 4 year old daughter (who we call "Sunshine" on our blog) would greatly benefit from an iPad and the speech app. She has down syndrome and autism and is only able to say a few words (and usually even we as her family can't understand her). An iPad would give her the ability to communicate her wants and needs. We know there is a great deal more going on inside her head than she is able to express. A tool like this would really open up the world for her. Thanks so much for doing this giveaway!

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  88. My 12 year old son with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome has no voice. Much to say, but is limited as he needs more means to utilize in different settings with different people. He relies on sign language, gestures, and his Vantage computer. Yet,the use of these are limited as his fine motor ability and speed decreases his use of sign language and not many people know sign. His computer is difficult to transport. Now the iPad has an app that his Vantage computer uses, as well! He could also use Proloquo2go to talk! How it would further open his world and allow him to share his chosen conversation more, as well as interact with others to decrease isolation naturally imposed on those who cannot speak. Thanks for the opportunity!

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  89. I see no reply for giveaway to be opened for people outside the US so I am taking my chance and posting my information. My son is 2 yrs old, diagnosed with CP, non verbal and cognitive delayed. He is eager to learn and I believe an Ipad will be of immense help to him as he is good with his fingers and visually alert. His therapists say if he unlocks the key to communication he could soon be at par to his age. I myself am saving for an IPad but it is a long road ahead still. I am currently in the UK and willing to pay fedex/UPS charges for shipping in case my son gets the IPad. He himself is a US citizen currently living in the UK.

    my email surbhi.singhal@gmail.com

    On a side note I am a long time silent lurker of your blog and appreciate your writing.

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  90. The technology available today for us all, especially our kids is such a blessing in helping them be independent communicators. I hate when people look to me to translate when my son is talking to them. I can imagine how it must make him feel. Anything that can give them power and confidence I'm on board with 1000%!
    Thanks so much for this opportunity.

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  91. My son Eli is 34 months old and just been diagnosed with severe apraxia. He is very intelligent and loves to read books but cannot communicate verbally. He tries to talk to me and just falls to the floor crying because he cannot. I am just learning about options available to him, but think an IPAD would open up his world. Thanks, Kristina (kottenwess@gmail.com)

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  92. My 2.5 year old daughter has been in speech and occupational therapy for over 9 months now for Apraxia of Speech, oral motor problems (including feeding problems) and SPD. My 18 month old just recently started speech and OT as well, but is undiagnosed at this time. Anything that could potentially help them (or any other child) with communication would be a blessing! Thank you!

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  93. My name is Katie. I am neither autistic, nor do I have a child who is. I just finished grad school in speech language pathology, and have been hired for my first job where I did my internship. We are a small clinic that work with children with all kinds of speech and language disorders. My main focus,and passion, are kids on the Autism spectrum, and those who have Apraxia of Speech. Though we are a small privately owned clinic in Seattle, we provide discounted services for many families. However, there are so many kids I see who are having to discontinue services, because of insurance issues (that frustrates me more than anything). Another large number of children really and truly would benefit from having dedicated AAC devices, but their families cannot afford them and insurance has denied them, despite the child having no functional speech. If I had an iPad, I would give it to one of the many children I work with on a daily basis who try so hard to communicate with those around them, but cannot; to one of those children who with an application with Proloquo2Go could tell us what they want, how they are feeling, what their favorite color is; to parents who just long to have their child communicate with them, who just simply want to give their child a voice and end their child's frustration. We who can talk take our voices for granted everyday. Through these remarkable kids, I have learned how easy I have it, what really matters in life, and what hard work really is. I would love to bless back one of these families who have blessed me more than I can convey. Thank you so much for you willingness to bless a family in this way.

    kathrynscheid@gmail.com

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  94. Our daughter Lucia is 3 and 9 months. She had bilateral strokes at birth too. Lucia's speech is quite delayed, moderate to severe for expressive and mild for receptive. She is absolutely captivated by technology, and while I have been hesitant to introduce her to the world of gadgets and computers, I have often wondered about an iPad with the Proloquo2go program for her. I truly suspect it would help her greatly but at the same time am terrified of her becoming addicted to computer games. She is such a nature girl who loves to be outside... But, as she gets older I find myself becoming more willing to try whatever will help her to communicate her feelings and ideas (as opposed to just her basic needs and wants) and hopefully help to develop her speech.

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  95. My daughter has severe apraxia of speech along with global developmental delay. She will be starting preschool this fall and I would love a way for her to communicate with her teachers and classmates. She loves any type of electronic devices so I think she would do very well with an ipad and proloquo2go program!

    Lindsey
    linznels@yahoo.com

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  96. Would you mind if I use this video in a presentation I am delivering next week about technology for social good? Its very inspirational! You can see more about it at http://www.meetup.com/Net2Camb/events/24756741/

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  97. Our once verbal daughter lost her expressive language at 2.5yrs old. Our lives were turned upside, no one could explain why our child could no longer communicate with us. Our daughter is now 6.5yrs old and completely nonverbal. We finally have answers as to why she lost her language but this discovery was made too late and the damage is now permanent. Not only is her expressive & receptive language been profoundly impacted but so has her cognition and fine motor skills. We did not think language/communication would ever be possible for our daughter (again). She screamed and tantrumed daily out of frustration, this went on for years. Fortunately we discovered she understood pictures and could communicate her basic needs through them. We are now using the PECS system and she is finally able to communicate basic needs (again). As wonderful as the PECS system has been for us, we are finding it can be a very limited form of communication, as the book is becoming too big and we can not provide pictures quick enough. The iPad & proloquo2gospeech would be a nice transition for our daughter.

    Hildygogal@yahoo.com

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  98. Connor's Gram
    My Grandson, Connor Michael...is the Love of my life!! He was born April 18th, 2008. After much testing , he has never been diagnosed. My daughter was advised at 4mths into her pregnancy ..to abort. Testing was showing low levels of maternal serum and other issues. After speaking to our whole family...My daughter decided to continue the pregnancy... :) Connor Michael is a happy, happy child!! He has come along way and has multiple disabilities BUT no diagnosis. He has one kidney at 97% and is low muscle toned and is not able to speak more than a few tiny words...Momma, Dadda...etc..
    He brings GREAT joy to us all....!! The frustration is communication and an IPAD would be an awesome tool for him....
    Thank You for listening,
    Connor's Gram

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  99. My son, Adam, is almost 17 years old and could greatly benefit from an Ipad and the Proloquo2go app. He is apraxic and only has some word approximations. Previous aug. devices he has had are large and cumbersome and are difficult to use and carry in social situations. An Ipad is much more socially acceptable and the advantages are endless. Thank you for your consideration.

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  100. My son Noah is 12 and has cerebral palsy. His school district will only give him an alpha smart for his schoolwork, but with his visual disabilities he cannot read the tiny screen. An Ipad would let him do his work on his own and feel so empowered over having to try to speak his answers to a scribe. And he could work when he wants, not when an aid is available. The world would open up to him. wschramm@optonline.net

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  101. A voice would be given for when there is no voice!

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  102. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  103. My son CJ is just turning 9 and is the absolute highlight to our day! Each day when he wakes up he is waiting for our hugs and kisses! He was born with a cleft lip/cleft palate and thus far has not been able to eat by mouth and gets all his nutrition through his feeding tube. After months and months of genetics testings, with no concrete diagnosis, we have accepted using cerebal palsy. CJ may need his family to eat, sit, and move around, but we need him each and every day to remind us what love really is. He's mastered the switch toys and the bulky touch screen monitors and uses the paper form of PECS to do some communication, but has shown great interest in the IPAD system the school and his speech therapist use. Being a non-verbal child with limited mobility, CJ would greatly benefit from having the IPAD with the Prologuo2go software available to him all the time. Currently he only has access about once a week. Thanks for the opportunity and know that you will make a difference in a child's life!

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  104. Can not express enough how this would benefit my AIDEN he is an undiagnosed little boy with slight dyspraxia.... hes an angel who is turning 4 and everyday is frustrated that he cant communicate better! We have tried therapy and he even goes to the best school ever but the talking is so hard for him. He knows how to say about 5 words and those words are used for everything along with a bit of sign.He has been starting to use crayons and color and wants me to draw pictures of everything. Unfortunately my family can not afford to buy one right now but we DO know the benefits and have been entering every contest! Aiden has a twin sister and a brother on the way and i would love for him to be able to express his feeling to them and well just to fit in!

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  105. My Daughter Taylor is 4 years old and would greatly benefit from an I pad and communication software. She was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when she was 1 year old. She can't talk well and uses some sign language but it is difficult because her motor function is very limited. Thank you for your consideration. sltwilliams.sw@gmail.com

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  106. My son born with Down Syndrome is a gift from God and I am so thankful to have him in my life. We can afford to buy an iPad, but we havent bought one yet. I wonder if it would be that useful for us. His speech is awful, but he is so patient and persistent. I think if he could spell the words he would be able to say them better. I hope that this iPad goes to a needy family!

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  107. Anything that helps open up communications with my daughter is wanted by our family! She has severe CP as well as some ongoing medical issues. I think this give-away is wonderful, and I certainly would gracefully bow out should we win an iPod elsewhere. Thanks!
    nikkistrad@gmail.com

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  108. My family could greatly benefit from the proloquo2go and the ipad, I have a son who name is Calvin and he's eight years old, nonverbal, and very smart . He is currently using a speech book given to him by his thepatist, she recommended the ipad saying it be great for him . what it means for him is a chance to communicate needs and express himself and also a learning tool that can teach him to pronouce words, what it mean for us, it would better help us understand our son needs, wants, and how he feels and eliminate the process of guessing that lead to frustration. As of right now we are unable to afford these products and looking at the price stresses me out but I will continue to try in any way I can. Thank you. darcellmiles@yahoo.com

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  109. My son is now 18 months old and he finally got his first constant of Da da a few weeks ago. We are expecting sever language delays. He has a very rare syndrome called M-CM, so far only about 130 documented cases. I have only heard amazing things about using an IPad. Thanks!
    valerieford0252yahoo.com

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  110. My daughter Amelia is 18 years old. She is diagnosed with autism. She will be moving into a setting in the community in which she will need to be able to communicate effectively with community members. She has some verbal skills but repeats what is asked of her. She has used a dry erase board to communicate and was using Proloque to Go on an Ipod at school. Her SLP and teacher found that she was able to use this technology to answer questions. Amelia was able to learn some skills using this device. Prior to this she used PECS. It would be great for Amelia to have this technology to continue to work on her communication skills while exploring work in her community. We can be reached at glorybe9@gmail.com

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  111. Hi Ellen,
    My son Evan is 6 1/2 and has cerebral palsy, seizures, cognitive & developmental delay and a lot of oral motor and speech problems. We have been told that he will never have a functional speech. He says about 10 words and uses sign to communicate as well. We feel that an iPad would open up a whole new world for Evan. Evan is such a joyous child who is smart and loves life. An iPad wuld really help him to share all of the wonderful things that he wants to say and tell us. I know if he could communicate better it would ease a lot of frustration on all of our parts. This is such an awesome thing that you are able to do and I know whoever wins will be blessed.

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  112. My name is Katie. My kids are Zoe age 6, Nathan age 5, and Matthew age 2. Their website can be found here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zoenathanandmatthewmckoy


    Zoe was born 7 weeks early in October of 2004. My pregnancy with her was rough. She had low apgar scores and spent 2 weeks in the NICU. Her first year was spent in and out of the hospital due to seizures, infections, and reflux. Her current issues now are unspecified mitochondrial myopathy, eosinophilic esophagitis, sacral dimple, submucous cleft palate, hypotonia, dysautonomia (GI motility and cannot regulate body temperature), asthma, and developmental delays. Frequently fatigue and chronic pain bother her. She also has a g-tube. She is in a self contained special education class. Neurologically speaking of all 3 kids she is the lowest functioning. Medically speaking, she is the healthiest of all 3 kids. Zoe rides horses in the fall and is active in a local special needs cheer-leading team.

    Nathan was born 9 weeks early in February of 2006 after yet another rough pregnancy. He had sepsis, respiratory distress, and a rocky NICU stay that lasted close to 7 weeks. His first year off life was also spent in the hospital a lot for pneumonia and reflux. His current issues now are unspecified mitochondrial myopathy, eosinophilic esophagitis, mild hypotonia, dysautonomia (severe GI dismotility), bronchiectasis, asthma, blood sugar issues when sick, and mild autism. Nathan has a g-tube and uses a CPT vest to clear his airway. Neurologically speaking, Nathan is the highest functioning of all 3 kids. Medically speaking, Nathan is the one with the most issues.Nathan is in a typical class at school. He rides horses in the fall and does Tae Kwon Do weekly.

    Matthew was born 9 weeks early in October of 2008 after yet another rough pregnancy. Matthew had mild respiratory distress and mild reflux in the NICU. However, he had a short stay of only 4 weeks since he was doing well. He came home on an apnea monitor that left the home within 6 months. Everything was fine until we started to introduce rice cereal to him. That is where the struggle began. At the age of 1 year, he was admitted to the hospital due to low hemoglobin and that is where the journey with him began. His diagnoses currently are unspecified mitochondrial myopathy, eosinophilic esophagitis, dysautonomia (GI dismotility), central sleep apnea, hypotonia, and developmentally delayed. He has a g-tube, uses a CPT vest to clear his airway, and is on O2 at night for central sleep apnea. On both health status wise and neurology wise, Matthew is right in the middle between Zoe and Nathan. Matthew loves bossing his siblings around. He also loves his pets (dogs, cats, fish, a rat, bunny, and a turtle). He is in a typical preschool class that is very supportive and loving with teachers who adore him.

    All three of the kids are prone to meltodowns and have issues communicating their needs. An ipad would be a very good tool for them to learn how to effectively community. It would also help distract them when they are in doctor offices and in the hospital. Thanks.

    My email is kdmckoy@gmail.com

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  113. My son Luke will be 4 next week and has the diagnoses of PDD-NOS, Global developmental delay and Hypotonia. Luke is completely non-verbal at this time and has used the ipad with this speech therapist at school and with his outside therapists and he just loves it! We'd love to get him one but we just can't swing it right now. We'd love to be able to give him this opportunity to be able to communicate with us in a more effective way. We know he has lots to say! :o)

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  114. oops forgot to include my email! annrounseville@yahoo.com

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  115. My son Josh has Down syndrome and would LOVE,LOVE,LOVE something like the ipad and we would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE understanding what he has to say!! THANKS!!!

    seeleymikejoan@aol.com

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  116. Hi My six year old son Anthony would greatly benefit from the use of an ipad. He has cp and is non verbal although he is able to use some signs but he has limited movement in his right hand. The touch screen would be great for him, his OT uses an ipad with him to trace letters and has had good success. I would love for him to be able to use one all the time. Thanks for the opportunity.
    kmendoza25@aol.com

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  117. Hello. I am writing to request an i-Pad2 for Lorenzo. Lorenzo is a 3 ½ year old who has several diagnoses. But the one that affects him the most is his being deafblind. The concomitant effect of both vision and hearing loss is significant. It greatly affects the ability to access information. Renzo has Cortical Visual Impairment, Ptosis and Nystagmus as his visual impairments, and a bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss. Having both a visual and hearing loss compounds his ability to attain information. Think about how much we learn just from seeing. Now imagine not being able to attain information visually. Now compound that with the fact that typically, when one cannot see, the sense of hearing will compensate for the loss in vision. This results in varying degrees of sensory deprivation, which occurs on a continual basis, day after day, year after year. Renzo has both affected, so obtaining information for him is not only harder to do, but we have to be creative in how we help him obtain and retain information, and then, repeat, repeat, repeat (along with allowing a lot of time to absorb it all). The child with deafblindness misses much essential information, and incidental learning is greatly limited. Children who are deafblind have unique needs. Lack of access to visual and auditory information causes extreme difficulties in all areas of development. It creates isolation and prevents connection with the world. Learning, communication, and social and emotional development are especially affected. Instead of effortlessly receiving a flow of information as others do, children who are deafblind must labor to attend, gather, interpret and synthesize information. They cannot learn what they do not detect, and they are unaware of what they are missing. They may be unable to access enough information to understand what is going on around them and to experience success and control over their environment. (This is where the i-Pad is most useful, it allows for instant recognition of success!) The resulting confusion and frustration often results in withdrawn or aggressive behaviors. Many children who are deafblind turn inward and spend their time in tactile stimulation. Their days are filled with sensation rather than information.
    While Renzo doesn’t currently speak verbally, we feel that the i-Pad could literally give Renzo a “voice” and a choice. With an i-Pad Renzo can explore endless things that typical kids take for granted. It will allow him to experience concept development such as: cause and effect, visual tracking and awareness, social interaction, communication, self determination, and most of all INDEPENDENCE! An i-Pad could provide access to learning and participation socially and educationally. Because of the light touch necessary to activate it, Renzo can experience an immediate response of cause and effect. It’s portable, so he could take it with him wherever he goes – to school or out in the community. As Renzo grows, the level of difficulty can be adjusted to continually challenge him cognitively. The possibilities to opening Renzo’s world are literally limitless to him.
    Thank you so much for the opportunity to apply for Renzo!
    Veronica
    castillomom13@yahoo.com

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  118. Our son, Moise is 10 years old and completely nonverbal. He was born in Haiti and adopted by us when he was 4 months old. Moise was born with congenital cytomegalovirus and resulting CP, Mental Retardation, Cardiac Defect, Deafness and Seizure Disorder. Moise received a cochlear implant at the age of 4 years. He did not do well with it and a year later we learned that the implant was faulty but he was unable to tell us. The implant was replaced but still he did not do well with the new one. Several months later the new implant was recalled and we learned that Moise lost almost 2 very critical years, in which speech may have developed, due to device malfunction. He now has a working implant and loves it. He hears well but speech has never developed. Moise knows sign but as a result of his other disabilities his sign is not perfect. Communication is our greatest challenge. He can operate a computer and we have looked into many communication devices. The fact that he cannot walk without a walker makes most of them less than ideal as they are large and cumbersome. Moise has occasionally used a borrowed iPad at his school and all involved in his learning believe that an iPad would open up a whole new world for him.

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  119. Carsyn is just getting to the point where he is going to need to start telling us what he needs and I think it would help tremendously if we start young. Thanks for this opportunity.

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  120. What a great opportunity!!! My son Payton is 17 and in addition to the 'alphabet soup' diagnosises, he has ASD. An iPad would help Payton to fully communicate and feel like he can express his needs, wants, dreams, stressors, etc on his own. I am a single disabled mom and can't afford to buy him one, so winning one for him would be such a God-send!

    Thanks so much for offering 2 families the opportunity to help their child - you rock!

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  121. What a great, great opportunity! Thank you for doing this. Our daughter, Kate, is 7 and has autism / ADHD. She us low verbal and her articulation is poor. She loves to learn but her frustration level is increasing because she has so much more she wants to say and ask. The iPad and the proloq app would be a real blessing. So happy that someone in need will benefit from this. Thanks again!

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  122. This is such a wonderful giveaway! Thank you for doing this!

    My son Bobby is 3 and has Down Syndrome. He's had 3 open heart surgeries and 15 inpatient hospitalizations. Due to his medical issues, he has serious delays in all areas... at 3, he is not yet walking or talking, and he continues to require a feeding tube for nutrition. All that aside, my boy loves all things electronic. His SLP and many of our friends with kids with special needs, have said what a good candidate he would be for an iPad, given all the excellent speech and other special education apps that are available now.

    Thank you,

    Valerie Grunsted
    vlgrunsted@gmail.com

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  123. My son Marley, who has autism, is going into the third grade this year.

    He still has not grasped reading.

    He loves copiers, printers, and computers and I know, like finally figuring out how to teach him to go to the bathroom by himself, I just have to find the right key.

    I believe the Ipad will be that key.


    We wish we could afford an iPad for our son, but have not been able to since they have been on the market. There are apps aplenty that would help supplement his public schooling and help us with our homeschooling curriculum, math, social, reading, etc, and there are also apps that would help Marley, understand social norms. Like: where we need to keep our voices down, why we need to look at someone when we talk to them, how to say hello and goodbye, how to ask other kids to play, and how to politely tell other kids when he needs some space to be alone. Safety and danger is still something he does not grasp as well.

    I have heard wonderful things about the Proloquo2go, from Marley's speech therapist and teacher at school.

    Marley would love the opportunity to be considered. Thank you.

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  124. My son, Isaac, is non-verbal and non-mobile at age 11. He is just beginning to emerge from seizures that have plagued him for the past 6 years. I would love for him to have an iPad! His speech and occupational therapists have been using one with him for the past month or so, and he is responding really well to it. Thanks for this opportunity.

    Alesha

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  125. First of all I'd like to say thank you! Our son David just turned 12,is a person with Autism, a rare chromosome disorder (Deletion 18q- Syndrome), he is 1 in 450 in the world with this deletion. He is non verbal and uses typing as his sole way to communicate. This opportunity to communicate has opened his world to show his intelligence and ours to finally get to know our child and his thoughts. Thank you for the opportunity to win an iPad 2.

    ReplyDelete
  126. YOU ARE AWESOME for doing this giveaway!!!

    My daughter is 4 and has CP. An Ipad would help her with her fine motor skills and speech.

    Nicole nicoleg_11@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  127. Sadie has come a long way...but I really think that these tools would help her excel....

    Our speech therapist suggested one, yet due to finances we have waited.

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  128. I have two children with Down syndrome. William, the oldest, will be going into second grade in a few weeks. He has come so far in so many ways but communication continues to be a barrier for him. His speech path was able to, last year, get an ipad and Proloquo2go to use with him. He loves using it. But can only use during his pull out speech therapy. It would benifit him that much more if he had his own device. And of course it would do us doubly good, as his sister would also be able to benifit from it.
    Thank you for this giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  129. Our son Caleb - who likes chicken nuggets :) - is 8 and has Down Syndrome. Caleb is a joy to our family, his 3 brothers, and everyone he meets. His weakness is his speech. We find him getting angry, frustrated and even sad when he tries so hard to communicate something to us, but we can't understand him. He uses some sign language and can speak (kind of) a bunch of words. . . but for an 8 year old boy, that can only go so far. His mind is wandering with imagination and excitement yet we feel as if his joy and creativity are stifled by his lack of communication.

    An iPad (with the app mentioned) seems like a GREAT way to give Caleb, and other special needs kids, the freedom they long for. Add us to the list!

    jivetheuniversal@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  130. My son Johnny is autistic and non-verbal- he is also diagnosed as severe apraxic- I was just starting to look into these options when i read ur post! I think it would be an excellent choice for him as he does well with his pecs board but it is not really a carry and go! anyway good luck and best wishes for all of our children!

    ReplyDelete
  131. We would love this for our son with autism and SPD! Can it potty train him for me? Now that would be awesome! :) swpsebts @ hotmail. com

    ReplyDelete
  132. I think the iPad is going to open up a new way for parents to help children with special needs. My son just turned 5 and has CP and CVI (vision impairment). He tries so hard to communicate his needs to us, in his own way. Some we understand some we don't. Thank you for the chance to win...

    ReplyDelete
  133. I loved Max's video. keep them coming! He's so excited about talking.

    So my son Eric is non verbal and almost 3. He's able to communicate a little bit with signs but I think an ipad and a speech program would be such a huge benefit to him. Because of his fine motor delays he's signs are pretty limited.

    Thanks so much for running this give away!

    ospina21@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  134. My son Taylor is 17, and has Autism, and lots of other Dx. Taylor mostly receits scripts from movies. His functional communication is very limited. I believe an Ipad could greatly improve his fuctional communication and help decrease his negative behaviors. Taylor is my sweet angel.

    ReplyDelete
  135. My son is 7 and has aspergers and a host of other supplementing diagnoses. My other son is 3 and has verbal apraxia and autism. I have seen kids using the IPADS for communication but also for increasing their independence in games, choice making and language development---that is what I hope for with my boyys. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  136. My son Finian has Autism and has very little speech...but is a techno wizard! An iPad would motivate him to communicate with us more XXX

    ReplyDelete
  137. Hello my son Amikael with SB takes speech therapy a few time a week because of his speech delays and other related issues. He will benefit a lot with this opportunity of having an iPad, that he can use on the daily basis to stimulate him in a fun and different way. Thanks for the opportunity

    ReplyDelete
  138. My Son is 4 years old and does not speak. I think a iPad would be great for him so that he can try and communicate as well as look at interactive books since he has limited gross motor skills

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  139. I have three sons on the autism spectrum, two with significant speech and communication delays. My older son loves anything electronic. An Ipad would captivate his interest enough to use the proloquo app to try to boost his language and communication skills. His other brothers would also be able to benefit from using both the ipad and proloquo app. Thank you for considering us,

    ReplyDelete
  140. our son, Ian, is 7 years, and was born extremely premature. He was on a ventilator for months, and that caused his airway to be ruined with scar tissue. He had a trach for 6 years, and had two major tracheal reconstructions, so that he could breathe without the trach. Until the reconstructions, he had no ability to get air through his vocal cords for speech. now that he has no trach, he is just beginning, at 7, to make his very first airy sounds. This takes a lot of work for him, and it will be years, before speech could even begin to be a practical form of communication, since his lungs are damaged,as well, its very difficult for him to get much sound out. Sign language is also not a viable option, since his motor skill lack the control that it takes for the many signs, and the expending of energy is significant.
    He does, however, have good enough control of his hands to make choices, and activate switches. He loves the laptop his teacher brings to the house, and he is able to respond appropriately to make choices for learning.
    i feel that this wonderful product would be extremely beneficial to him as a communication device, and as an educational tool as well. He is especially attentive to these types of technology, particularly. I believe that this would enrich his world significantly, and develop the potential that he has very well. His pediatrician is very involved in his care, and in encouraging him to develop to the best of his ability. His speech therapist has been working with him for accuracy of choices to show that he would benefit from a technilogical form of communication.
    thank you so much for blessing these children who have extra challenges, by giving them access to such an amazing tool!

    ReplyDelete
  141. I would love this IPAD for my son Chase who has Cerebral Palsy. He loves computers and technology and this just might help him speak more. Thanks for this great giveaway!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  142. My son Michael is 7 and has Down Syndrome, is speech is probably equal to that of a 2yr old. Michael would love to reap the benefis of an iPad and all the apps avaialable for spec needs kids. His school is going to start using them this year and I think it would be great for him to have access to one here at home also. I would love to see his ability to communicate become easier for him, for our family, and his teachers and peers.
    Thank you
    Stephanie Long
    stepheff1@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  143. This would be such a wonderful addition to the therapies we already have in place for our daughter. She often struggles with speech and has come a long way but anything that can help keep her vocabulary growing and help her to speak is something we need!

    ReplyDelete
  144. I Believe Bethany could greatly benefit from an IPAD as she was diagnosed with a rare syndrome and she is severely speech delayed....and coming from a bilingual home--it has made it somewhat more difficult for her to absorb two different languages.

    ReplyDelete
  145. what an amazing contest! i would like to enter my son henry. he is 3 1/2 years old and one of the funniest people i've ever met. he has developmental delays in all areas, but speech is especially delayed. we are working right now on picture identification, and he is making huge strides. an ipad, especially one pre-loaded with proloquo2go, would be an incredible tool for henry to communicate, as his receptive language skills far surpass his expressive ones. thank you so much for offering this amazing gift -- the gift of communication.

    beangrohl@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  146. My son Duncan is four years old. He has CP (spastic quadriplegia) and hydrocephalus. He's also non-verbal and legally blind. He communicates a little bit using signs and sounds, but he needs a good way to express his thoughts and feelings. An iPad would be an awesome tool to help unlock his world. He loves computers and is very motivated by them. In fact, he recently taught himself to pull to stand just to reach a computer.

    amlawrence@windstream.net

    ReplyDelete
  147. I just realized that I never left my email address with my comment. Oops!
    kristinasorenson at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  148. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  149. I have a 5 year old boy with ASD and a 4 year old with speech delays. We have little plastic squares of word pictures all over the place. I have really wanted them to have an Ipad but I just can't justify the price. I think they are an amazing tool.

    ReplyDelete
  150. I have two children with special needs. Caleb,14, has Cornelia deLange Syndrome. His biggest issue is apraxia. Lizzie, 10, has Down Syndrome. She struggles with intelligible speech. She trys to verbalize her wants and needs,sometimes it is just unintelligible. I can't imagine the frustration that they both feel. They know what they want to say, but nobody understands them. This problem has caused Caleb to be a selective mute. I feel that an ipad would give both of them a way to communicate without so much frustration.

    ReplyDelete
  151. My son, Bryce, is an almost 4 year old little boy who loves electronics. He suffers from Cerebral Palsy and a rare genetic disorder called Kabuki Syndrome. He is developmentally at 18 months for gross and fine motor skills and at 9 months for verbal skills. He has severe speech apraxia and has one word. Bryce uses an IPad in speech and occupational therapies. It is the only time when he can tell me what he wants! He tries to use signs but his hands have issues with performing it correctly. An IPad would be so great for him to finally be able to communicate with his whole family! My email is bryces_mommy@yahoo.com. Thank you so much for doing this!

    Kanani

    ReplyDelete
  152. Joseph is my 14 year old son w/Down Syndrome.He starts High School in August and is in desperate need to communicate and be understood! It breaks my heart when he tries to tell me certain things and I can't understand him,or when people ask him questions expecting to start a conversation, only to back off when they can't understand him,and even when he sings.He sings w/all his might,like a rock & roller,but only he knows what he's singing(unless he's singing w/music or T.V.),bcuz we can't understand him. Now he's having hearing tests due to hearing problems which will only make it harder for him to communicate.Joseph needs help NOW,and would benefit from having an iPad w/Proloquo2go. God Bless Our Kids!

    ReplyDelete
  153. I am co-director of Abi's Place, a school for children with severe disabilities. We have recently discovered the wonderful benefits of using iPads with communication apps to help our children increase their language (and decrease their frustration). Some of the parents have the funds to purchase an iPad, but several parents do not. I would love to be able to donate an iPad to a special family I know well whose daughter has a very rare genetic disorder and is unable to communicate verbally.
    email: huppiemama(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  154. My son is a soon to be 6 yr old (the soon to be is a big thing aaround here) he's autistic, but higher functioning thanks to help from therapy (boy I had to fight for that one). He starts Kindergarten next month (break out the tissues!) And has been in the summer Autistic Support Class since the begining of the month. He's very bright and always ready to learn new things (spelling is the big hit right now). We've had an uphil battle, but I would never change my little boy for anything. He's the kindest, gentlist soul I know.

    Kaileybowser1 (at) live.com

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  155. My good friends have a 6-year old daughter with severe CP. She is non-verbal but they've been making huge communication progress at school w/ iPads and similar technology. Winning an iPad would allow them to continue this progress by using it at home, too. Thanks for this great opportunity!

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  156. My son Benjamin is on the Autism spectrum, and while he is verbal, he has a great need for an Ipad for use on social communication skills, organizational skills, and because his fine motor skills are lacking, to substitute hand written work for type written or, hopefully, speech to text apps.

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  157. My son has cognitive behavior needs for communication.he does have a story but too long to get into. This would be extremely helpful for him

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  158. I work with several kids that an iPad would open up their worlds.
    Janie Brown, OTR
    Janie.jitter12@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  159. My son suffered a birth injury and as a result has severe speech, cognitive, and developmental delays. Since he has CP he has fine motor issues as well. He lacks the attention to use PECs effectively. He prefers to sign, but his fine motor issues result in lots of approximations. I would love to be able to use an iPad and Proloquo2Go speech app with him. I've thought of buying him an ipad to try these types of communication techniques, but just cannot afford to buy one. allreds5513@yahoo.com

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  160. I would love to enter this giveaway on behalf of my 2.5 year old son. My son has Marfan Syndrome as well as developmental delays (suspected ASD). He is not able to speak with us or communicate well but he loves electronic devices and I would love to see if he could communicate his needs with an ipad and this app. I know he understands a lot more than he can articulate. I'd love to be able to get a glimpse inside his mind!

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  161. My daughter was DX with infantile spasms (seizures) at 5 weeks, she is now 3 and still has several seizures a day. She is non verbal, severly delayed, and has motor issues. Currently two of her therapists use the iPad with her and it's so amazing and exciting to see all that she can do on the iPad. Hayle would greatly benefit from having an iPad of her own and would improve the quality of her life
    Thank you
    Kellie
    haylesmom@yahoo.com

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  162. Hi my son Cameron is 7yrs old and has lead paint poisioning. That caused all over developmental delays.speech is not their mostly grunting and whining, but im hopeful.I think this would be great for him b/c he loves to play with my phone so maybe he would pick up on it quick.Some parents really have no idea what its like not to be able to communicate with their own child and realize how blessed they really are.

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  163. First and foremost, what an awesome giveaway! Thank you for hosting it--and for the chance to win.

    I have four children, three of which have developmental delays (slight to severe). Primarily, though, my almost two-year old has no language skills to speak of. She was born ten weeks early and with a rare disorder called Septo-Optic Dysplasia and is--long story short--missing a membrane in her brain and is visually impaired. We don't know what else she'll face as SOD is a "wait-and-see" disorder, but she is very language delayed and often has great difficulty trying to express her needs. I would love to win an iPad for her. Thank you again for the chance to win!

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  164. Two of my children have been diagnosed with Apraxia. My 5 yo has been in speech therapy for 3 years and has made great strides with her speech. We still have a lot of work to do, but in this last year she's been able to communicate and people are able to understand most of what she says. My 3 yo has so much to say, but even after a year of therapy, we can't understand much of what he says and anyone outside the family doesn't understand anything he says. They are very active children and it's hard to keep them focused on speech therapy. My oldest is going to a new SLP that has her use an iPad for for portions of what she does in therapy. I've heard it can be incredibly useful and seeing is definitely believing! An iPad would be great to have at home to help both of them work on speech in a fun way. At this time it's not in the budget because of the costs of therapy. I'd love the opportunity to win this for my kids!
    c_fedor at hotmail dot com

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  165. I really appreciated your Parents Bill of Rights. Thanks for that sensitive and empowering bit of writing!

    We have three children on the spectrum in our home. Our middle child is non-verbal. An iPad2 with ProLoQuo would be an amazing tool in our home to help all three of our children.

    Thanks so much for offering this contest!

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  166. I think this would be a life-changer for my non-verbal twins. Thank you for all that you do, your blog is a wonderful resource.

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  167. My son T is 2.5 and has schizencephaly, which is a congenital malformation of the brain. His brain has clefts, not unlike a cleft lip or palate. For T, this means his gross motor & speech skills are severely affected. He cannot speak a single word and only has a few babbles. He can, however, use an iPod Touch and select pictures. An iPad with aug comm software would allow him to finally communicate with the world.

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  168. My son is 9 years old and has a severe speech impairment. He was born with congenital heart defects and also has physical and fine motor delays. He uses a computer at school to do his work but isn't able to hold a pencil well to do anything on paper. I think an ipad would help him tremendously in improving in his school work. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to win something that we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford. God bless!

    Jennlynn0203@aol.com

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  169. My son Carlos is 10 years old and is Dyslexic and suffers from dysgraphia. As much as I try to help him, I feel that an ipad would allows us to download very helpful software that would significantly help his reading and spelling. ipads are so expensive and we just do not have the money to afford one. I know his self esteem will greatly improve and he would not need to be sad and frustrated with himself. Winning this ipad would be so wonderful for Carlos. Thanks. Our email is suediaz@sbcglobal.net.

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  170. I have two kids both with Autism. My older one is 8 yo boy, non-verbal ASD, with MR label and Pica, not potty train, using hand-pulling to communicate to where he wants to go inside and no way of communicating his needs outside. But he shows very strong interests in iPad when therapists were showing him. He made more sounds (not only vocal sounds) when he was "engaged" and "interested" in adult-engaging games or some flashcard (words matching).
    My younger one, is 6 yo girl, though high-functioning autism, struggles with social/pragmatic skills and moderate language delay, also found iPad helps her communicates more socially and naturally.
    I AM going to try other sites you mentioned and whoever gets it would find it the good usage for their kids.

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  171. Caleb would benefit hugely from an iPad. Thanks for the opportunity to win one!
    -Christine
    agtesque@gmail.com

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  172. My son Kevin is 19 and developmentally disabled with oral motor issues that make speech difficult. He would LOVE an ipad with proloquo2go. It would enable him to be so much more independent and able to communicate with others.

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  173. My son, Kevin, is 19 and developmentally disabled with oral motor issues that make speech difficult. Kevin would LOVE an ipad2 with proloquo2go. It would help him to be so much more independent and enable him to communicate with others.

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  174. My son Jason is 8 and has Down Syndrome. He has had to get tubes in his ears which has slowed down his learning in speech and where he is missing a joint in each of his fingers, it is harder for him to even learn how to do sign language. I think him having an ipad will help him become more educated and be able to learn to communicate better with my husband, his 2 brothers and I much better! Thank you for this opportunity!

    Sheila
    butter_cup27@hotmail.com

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  175. "Watching" Max grow up and overcome many of the same challenges we have with our 16 year-old Danny who also has CP as well as developmental delays, makes me both nostalgic and envious. The sheer amount of information and emotional support now available online were just in the their embryonic stages when Danny was young and we had to sign up for listservs in order to connect with other parents. Although he has some limited verbal ability and uses older augmentative communication, he would clearly benefit from an Ipad and the software. Thanks.

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  176. I have 3 children each with different special needs, but my middle son would benefit so much from an iPad. Because he's entering 4th grade and his fine motor skills are so far behind, this would help him to keep up academically without the fine motor issues slowing him down. It really would make a difference in his life.

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  177. Peers point of view:
    Looking at Hannah with a big, complicated, user-unfriendly device - intimidating.
    Looking at Hannah, a cool kid with an Ipad, that any 4th grader can operate - inviting.
    You say she can talk with it? Awesome! Can I see?

    Need I say more?

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  178. My daughter Abby is 7 years old and has CHARGE Syndrome. She has moderate to severe hearing loss, and wears bilateral BAHA hearing aids. She also has significant vision impairment that qualifies her as deaf-blind. She has tremendous difficulties with balance as a result of CHARGE, and she has great difficulty playing outdoors as a result. She loves technology, and she has recently been using an ipad in her speech sessions at school and loves it!!! She is extremely proficient at using it, and there are great speech and vision related apps that help her with her communication issues. Like many other kids with special needs, Abby struggles to make friends. I am hopeful that one day her communication struggles will improve and she will be able to make friends more easily. I believe that with technology this can happen, and I would love the opportunity for Abby to be able to have an ipad at home to help her achieve this goal.

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  179. My son Jeffrey, who has limited language, would definitely treasure every moment with iPad!! Thank you so much for doing it!

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  180. My daughter Shri is 6yrs old and is turning 7 this spetember. Due to her minimal hand use we could not get any device for her to commuicate. When we tried the iPad she as very happy to communicate and easily used it. We felt she got her voice through the iPad. She is non verbal and non ambulatory. It will be great if she could get this s her birthday gift.

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  181. Christopher is 4 yrs old with minimal speech. His speech therapist tried an iPad app with him the past couple of months and we are amazed at how such technology can reach him. We hope he can have an iPad of his own to work on every day at home. Thanks so much for doing this giveaway.

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  182. My boy has CP and doesn't talk, but is showing real facility with even the antiquated devices provided through the school district, and he's clearly wanting a way to express himself and explore who he is. The iPad and particularly the ProLoQuo app would be awesome... Thank you for a wonderful giveaway! (We're in the mix over at Mission iPossible, so obviously, if we were so lucky to receive one, we would bow out of the other giveaway.)
    turquoisepen at gmail dot com

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  183. My three-year-old son Benjamin has Down syndrome. So far, he is non-verbal. I would love to win an iPad for him. I would hope this would help to foster communication in our house since right now, there pretty much is none. Except for my 5-yr-old Andrew who talks incessantly and my 16-month-old Thomas who squeals all day. But Benjamin needs this. :)

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  184. My son, Mikiah, was born at 26 weeks weighing just 2lbs 6oz. Though he has overcome a lot, including the basic goal of living, Mikiah is still faced with the adversities of his disabilities. Among his many diagnosis, Mikiah most debilitating is probably his cerebral palsy. Mikiah is almost 2 now, and is hardly saying basic words or sounds. To have an app that would allow him to express how he is feeling on a daily basis would be amazing. Mikiah has physical and occupational therapy once a week through our local school district. He sees many doctors throughout the year so that he can get the best care possible. Mikiah's school teacher has brought her iPad with on several occasions and Mikiah seems to love everything about it; from the many different apps to the basic concept of swiping the screen back and forth. Mikiah enjoys any app that comes with music and bright colors; by far, I believe that the xylophone is his favorite apps. I believe that Mikiah would benefit exponentially from an iPad. With every therapy lesson he learns, he becomes that much smarter and stronger. It does not take much to teach Mikiah anything; he is truly a remarkable little boy.

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  185. My son Christopher is pretty non-verbal for the exception of a few words. I think the iPad would help open up his vocabulary as well as draw in his wandering mind.

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  186. Hello! My daughter is 9 soon to be 10 and the iPad w/Proloquo2Go would be such a big help for us; school and home! This would give us a convenient lightweight way to have and activity that will be so beneficial to here! She is non-verbal but utters some things and makes sounds to show approval/disapproval! This would help us open up so much more technology to/for her! Thank you for the opportunity!

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  187. My daughter has suffered a stroke, deletion in her chromosomes. She has global developments. Her speech has came along way after 7 years of speech. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  188. My autistic son, 10 years old, is non-verbal and is getting very frustrated and violent because he can't communicate what he wants. Something like this would help him to express what he wants, hopefully will reduce his rage - I feel so sorry for him.

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  189. Why?.................Why does Whitney need an Ipad?..............Let’s ask Whitney!
    How does an Ipad help you? 1st answer was, “eat fast”. Whitney has CF (Cystic Fibrosis) and hates eating, and the teacher has been bribing her with the Ipad to get her to eat, she also has a shorten school day, so she can do all her meds in the am and eat breakfast at home she takes about 15 different meds daily. 2nd, “help work”, (school work) Her IQ last tested at 55, she cannot read, all her work is adapted and is in an ‘autism room’ at school, after spending her last year in a ‘reg’ classroom where the teacher would give her a sheet to do and explain them all to her and then leave her to teach the other 28 kids. She would just sit there and play, tear up things and sneak around the school, hide in the restroom, and would throw her food away. I sat in her classroom on several occasions and finally had to pull her out and home school her after trying to help her with her work and Whitney lost it, just starting to have a horrible fit, because she was so used to not doing anything. Then finally a church member told me who to contact at the school board and I was able to fight and get her into this special classroom at another school. There the classroom was lent an Ipad and Whitney has loved it and all the crying stopped. A light clicked and she started learning. Now this school year, the class will only temporarily have the Ipad, and Whitney and the other children will be devastated and if we get this one it will go to school with Whitney and be shared for all to use in her classroom.
    Is it easier for you to do school work on paper or when it is on the Ipad? “on Ipad”
    How is it better? “helps me more” anything else, “that’s all”. Whitney will be 9 in November placed in the 3rd grade and only speaks in very short remarks and does not communicate her wants or needs most times.
    Why would you want an Ipad?...... “So I can learn”…………………………
    Whitney,

    Ronda Whitter, rwhitter2@hotmail.com

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  190. My 5 year old son, Eric has communication limitations and very minimal fine motor skills. He has shown fascinating skills using an ipad at school and with his grandma. He would be overjoyed to have his very own. He would benefit so much from this.

    My email is:
    thestones0603@roadrunner.com

    Thanks so much for doing this and having your blog!

    Meghan Stone

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  191. My son Killian is 5 years old. At his most recent speech assessment, it was determined that he has the communication skills of a 3 year old. He has language dyspraxia and PDD-NOS. Speaking and articulating is very difficult to him. Most of his speech sounds like "baby jargon". It's very difficult to explain how delayed he is and how it hinders his ability to communicate his needs. It is my hope that we're lucky enough to win an iPad because after watching the video, I really feel like he can learn so much from the Proloquo2Go speech app.

    GiannaRamos@yahoo.com

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  192. That video was awesome! I so felt his frustration at picking the wrong thing by mistake, and I loved how you responded and he calmed instantly.
    And his joy at hearing the final sentence being read! Amazing.

    I'd really love a chance for Adi to get this program. She is turning three and has only a handful of words that are rarely used, and understood only by me. We tried signs, and while she did pick up a few, the whole idea didn't take off with her. So many kids in these comments that deserve a voice!

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  193. My son Bhavik is 8 years old sweetest kid in the world. He gets frustrated which leads to behaviors mostly because he is unable to communicate his needs and thoughts. ipad will be a great addition in his extremely small social life.
    Thanks for doing this

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  194. My 7 year old daughter Kennedy has cerebral palsy (mildly for the most part, thank goodness) but she has trouble with her speech and her fine motor skills. Her school has suggested an iPad for her to use in place of writing because she is unable to hold a pencil and tires so easily after just writing her name. On top of that, the school also suggested Pro Lo Quo to help her with her speech and to assist her with learning to correctly combine thoughts/ideas/sentences. The only problem? The school is making the suggestions, but cannot afford to provide one for her. She spent the last two years working so hard in Kindergarten and just started 1st grade yesterday. This would give her such an advantage in learning and communicating with others in this new school year!

    lindsay.midkiff@insightbb.com

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  195. I have two daughters, both with Classic Autism. I just found out my 4 yr old doesn't prefer the nickname we've called her for the past two years because I didn't know how to ask her in a way that she could answer. I don't EVER want to take two years to ask my child, or her little sister, a basic question ever again. Robs her of dignity, and that's something I cannot bare the thought of. An iPad would help me give my daughter a voice, and more importantly, her dignity. You should see her face when I call her the name she prefers. I cannot imagine the depth and breadth of things I'm missing...and we wonder why her and little sister have meltdowns. We're working on it, and we'll take any hope we can get.
    Gal5150@aol.com

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  196. What a fantastic thing to do.
    We are trying to raise enough funds to purchase an iPad for Dawson who has severe Apraxia from a resulting brain injury of meningitis when he was just three months old. You can ready his entire story at www.DawsonsJourney.com.
    I hope that one day very soon insurance will see the benefit of funding a $500 tablet that can provide so many applications for a kids with special needs instead of throwing away thousands on a hard to use one function only box.
    Good luck to everyone - I think any of these posts would be well deserving!

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  197. My granddaughter is 7 and suffers from cerebral palsy and seizures. While the seizures are under control for the most part, the CP has affected her speech which interferes with her ability to communicate. Because she is unable to make all the sounds of the alphabet, spelling and reading seem to be an unattainable goal at this point. The CP has also affected her gross and fine motor skills. She suffers from hand tremors that makes it nearly impossible for her to write her letters legibly. In her last school IEP meeting, her therapists recommended an Ipad with this speech software to aid her with her speech difficulties and added that the Ipad's touch screen along with the appropriate software would enable her to complete school work without the frustration she experiences when she tries to hold a pencil. My wish for her is that she is provided every opportunity to excel to the best of her ability...whatever that may be.

    jjohns@glasgow-ky.com

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  198. My son Demitri has classic autism and non verbal. He is 6 and going into the 1st grade. His teachers say iPad would be beneficial for school. But if we win or we don't any child with special needs who gets the I pad it will be a major help. Demitri is such a joy in our lives. My only wish is that someday we can hear his voice and what he's thinking

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  199. My daughter, age 15, suffered a pediatric stroke which caused her to have severe speech and language delays as well as other disabilities. She also has bilateral hearing loss. She LOVES gadgets, however, and she would definitely benefit from having an iPad with speech and language apps.

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  200. My son Brody will be 7 in September. He has verbal apraxia. He is such a bright boy and has so much to share and I know the ipad would be such an amazing communication tool to help him be able to do just that.

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Thanks for sharing!