Jimmy 'Buttons' : or how an iPad helped one small boy with #autism

This article was originally posted on Crystal Jigsaw, a wonderful blog that covers life, farming, special needs and everything in between.  It's being reprinted here for #specialsaturday (details below) as the theme this week is iPads.  Links to how you can get an iPad for your child are also at the end of this piece.

 It was an auntie who christened him Jimmy 'Buttons'. He just couldn't pass them by. Phones, TV remotes, toys, keypads, you name it. But Jimmy has autism and he didn't always use those buttons in a useful way. That is until he started using an iPod Touch and then an iPad. According to Mum Katy, they helped with behaviour management, speech, motivation and his social skills. The family live in Donegal in North-West Ireland, but Katy is originally from Limehouse in East London.

The first signs of autism were when Jimmy lost the words he had as a baby, he wasn't comfortable in his clothes, began flapping his hands when he was excited or anxious, and developed an obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine. At first Katy felt like an over-anxious first -time Mum as she took her son back and forth to the GP with questions and worries. At playschool he still wasn't talking, and a referral to speech therapy eventually led to a diagnosis of autism in 2005. For his Mum the diagnosis came as a relief after all the uncertainty

After diagnosis Jimmy was referred to the local Assistive Technology Unit and various educational games were recommended. Even at just 3 years old, Jimmy 'Buttons' showed his family that he knew exactly what to do with them.

But with very little speech, it was still a struggle for anyone to understand his needs. One day in school he "threw a wobbler," and it took the teacher and his Mum almost two hours to get the word "teeth" out of him. To realise that your child is in pain and unable to explain or tell you where it hurts is heart-breaking, and could even have dangerous consequences.

Jimmy was already using a new communications App - Grace - and his toothache led to the inclusion of a whole section on the App about body parts together with a 'sore' button, so that if it happened again, he would be able to show and tell his Mum exactly where it hurt. Now at 9 his speech is much better, and it's mostly used as a reward and motivation for good behaviour. It's also brought the family together:

"He doesn't just sit and play on his own, he'll show us stuff, like trains that he's found on YouTube," says Katy. "He's learned to play Minecraft by watching his brother, and sometimes they do things together, and that's lovely to see."

It's not just kids with autism who can benefit. Even my own daughter, who has severe cerebral palsy, enjoys using the iPad. From watching the latest pop videos on Vevo, to interactive stories, to cause and effect apps, it provides great entertainment, and it's so easy to get her something new when she's bored. In September, I'm hoping to introduce her to a simple communications app in conjunction with her school.

Now the Irish scheme that helps children like Jimmy to get iPads is available in the UK through the Manchester-based Hearts and Minds charity.

It's very simple: Register on the website, collect old mobile phones and then swap them for an iPad. You will need a minimum of 165 phones. That may sound like a lot, but more than 1000 families in Ireland have succeeded and there are plenty of hints and tips on the website to help you. This scheme is open to families and schools and you don't have to have a child with special needs to take part.

What's in it for the charity? Well they make money from the scheme too, and this is will be used to build a school for children with autism in Manchester.

The info bit:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge

There is also a similar scheme in Ireland: http://www.autismirelandphones.ie/


If you know of anyone who could benefit from this scheme, please tell them :)

Special Saturday:

#specialsaturday which was set up by @savvywendy to improve awareness and increase understanding of special needs. It is now a global campaign and this week the topic is iPads, how they help kids with special needs and how to get them. @savvywendy is an inspirational mum of four kids, three with autism and other special needs. She is currently recovering from two strokes. Join #specialsaturday by 'liking' the facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/SpecialSaturday; following on twitter - @Specialsat and retweeting hashtag - #specialsaturday; or reading and following the Special Saturday Blog : http://specialsaturday.org/

A marathon race to build a school for autism

Want to get really fit and help children with autism?  Why not join the Hearts And Minds Challenge Marathon Team for the 2013 Manchester Marathon and help raise funds to build a school for autism.

Race date: 28th April 2013

Register: Now!  The sooner you register, the more time you will have to train and be ready.

Here is the link: http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/fundraising/eventregister_details.asp?event=3238

Race details:
Some changes have been made to the route for 2013 with the race village being located at Manchester United Football Club on the E2 Car Park in front of the stadium. The race now starts just a short walk away on the A56 White City Roundabout and finish outside the magnificent stadium of Old Trafford.

Some highlights of the new route:

• The new race village will be situated at Old Trafford football stadium, on the E2 car park in front of the main stand.
• The race will start on the A56 at the White City roundabout, a short walk from the race village at MUFC.
• The marathon route keeps all of the great sections that competitors liked last year and misses the sections that through feedback have been removed.
• The route will be held entirely on main roads
• More of the route in Altrincham where the crowd support was amazing.
• No narrow lanes; open rural sections; underpasses; or muddy areas.
• There is a new finish outside Old Trafford stadium, Manchester United Football Club (MUFC) on Sir Matt Busby Way.

The improved course is even flatter than last year’s race with only 55m of elevation gain, so is great for anyone looking to do their first marathon, or for those looking to set a new personal best time.

Location:
Start and finish: Old Trafford, MUFC
Marathon Start: 09:00

More information: http://www.greatermanchestermarathon.com/

More about the Hearts and Minds charity here:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge 

Primary school through the eyes of a boy with Asperger's

Who says that kids with Asperger's don't look at the positives? An articulate journey through the primary school years..

Hi, I'm Fionn and one day when I'm famous they will tear down the house and find this and put it in a museum.

On June the 30th after 3 days labour pains and I was finally born. When I opened my eyes I saw Mum and Dad and that's where my story begins.

I had an older brother and sister who used to play with me on the trampoline and the climbing frame. When I went to school I was very young and I found it very hard to make friends. So Mum and Dad brought me to a specialist and I was diagnosed with Asperger's. This helped us all understand about me. At this stage I got another brother and we were really close.

One day towards the end of P2 I had a bad accident. I was on the trampoline with my brothers and a friend, who somersaulted and fell with such force I went up in the air and I landed on my head on the cement. I had a brain haemorrhage and a skull fracture. I was very ouchy.

When I got to P3 I made my first real friends. I sat beside M and we started talking during maths. Then we became best friends and he introduced me to his friends and that's where I met most of my friends today. In P4 I made Communion and had a fantastic party with balloons and coke! After Communion we went on holiday to Italy and had an awesome time. We had a huge villa with a big pool and a beach close.

In P5 I had a great teacher and a great assistant who I forgot to mention earlier. I had a really good year and in the summer holidays I went to Spain for a week and it was beautiful. The sun was out, the sand was hot and the waves were big and I made some friends.

Now I'm in P7 with a great teacher and have had him until the time of writing. We will make our confirmation soon after and go to Manchester after.

More about the Hearts and Minds charity here:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge  

Top Tips for collecting old phones

You want an iPad for your child, who has autism, or special needs, or none.  You've registered with the Hearts and Minds charity to collect old mobile phones to exchange for an iPad.  So where to start? 

The official launch of the scheme was at the end of May, and many of the families who've got their iPads since then have been happy to share their top tips for collecting phones.  This is what worked for them:

Hints and tips from parents

1. Facebook - from pestering friends and family, to setting up and promoting a dedicated Facebook page and/or Facebook event.  Post updates on the campaign and perhaps photos of donated phones with a thank you message for the donor. 

2. Twitter - 'phenomenal' is how one Mum described the twitter response to her request for phones.

3. Workplace - colleagues and customers have supported some families. 

4. School - one Mum says she is now known as "the crazy lady who wants old mobiles!" But it worked..

5. Local businesses, shops, community centres and pubs - ask if they will put up posters or a collection box for you.  Some businesses may have collections of employees' old contract phones.

6. Media - Newspapers and radio stations love heart-warming stories, and several have run articles and interviews with local families about their child and publicising their need for old phones.

Hearts and Minds can also help with securing media coverage: Just contact ian@heartsandmindschallenge.org for more details.

7. Local buy/sell/giveaway sites - families found that people tend to be very generous in support of a good cause.

8. Swap phones for...fresh chicken eggs, home-baked fairy cakes, or anything else that would incentivise your friends, family, neighbours and other local people.

9. Swap things on Facebook by advertising items your family no longer needs on the swap/for sale sites in return for any old or broken phones.

10. Local small phone shops may have old or damaged phones that they don't need.

11. Local councils recycle phones so see if they will donate to you instead.

12. Ask at your local Church and they may support your campaign.

13. Make sure people know why you want the phones and how your child will benefit.  Hearts and Minds has posters that can be emailed to you.

14. From a Mum in Ireland:

"I put gift wrapped boxes with my child's picture and details of the recycling scheme in local schools and shops, got friends that worked on factory floors to bring in buckets with my child's face on them, I went to lost & found in (police) stations, and bus & train stations, I got friends to share on FB, I went to Chinese mobile phone shops & repair shops, and got unusable unfixable phones from them too.... Everybody has at least one or two old phones ones hanging around the back of a drawer, I just badgered everybody until I got what I needed!"

And finally...

Make sure that people know that about the big prize:

GET YOUR BILLS PAID FOR A YEAR!

More about the Hearts and Minds charity here:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge  

What sort of mobile phones can be recycled and other FAQs

Hundreds of families are now collecting old mobile phones to get an iPad for their child from Hearts and Minds, and the questions are rolling in too:

1. What sort of mobile phones can be recycled?

Your total should consist mainly of recent phones - from the last 10 years - though a few older phones like this can be included:

The charity will accept up to 10 phones that may be:
...over 10 years old.
...damaged.
...dummy.
...missing parts (except the battery cover)

Phones less than 3 years old with broken screens will also be accepted.

2. Do the phones need to have batteries in them?

Yes they do.

3. Do you take phones from overseas?

Yes.  If they're being posted make sure that the ends of the batteries are sealed with sellotape and packed separately from the phones.

4. Do you take phones from America?

American phones operate on a different band, so only a few can be accepted, more if they are GSM phones rather than CDMA.

5. We have more phones than we need, how can we help other kids?

Either give them to another family locally or send them directly to Hearts and Minds where they will go towards fundraising for the school for children with autism.

6. Do you accept mobile phone batteries?

Yes, but they don't count towards your total unless there is a phone to go with them.

7. Is there a good poster to help publicise my phone collection?

Yes, this poster

http://heartsandmindsuk.blogspot.ie/2012/07/poster-to-publicise-your-mobile-phone.html

8. How long have I got to collect the phones?

The campaign will run until the end of the year at least.

9. Do the phones have to be working?

No.

10. Can I send in phones from overseas?

Absolutely, and many people do not realise this.  But they MUST be GSM phones and not CDMA phones.  Most countries use GSM, check this website for detail:

http://reviews.cnet.com/world-phone-guide/


11. What are the best ways to collect phones?

Watch this space....another blog post on is coming soon!


More about the Hearts and Minds charity here:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge  

Poster to publicise your mobile phone collection campaign

Please download this to help with your mobile phone collection.

For more information visit:

UK - http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/

Ireland - www.autismirelandphones.ie

A School for Autism

The Mobile Phone Recycling Campaign is just one part of the Hearts and Minds Challenge that is raising funds to build an Education Centre for Autism in Greater Manchester. 

 

The mission

To raise the quality of life of individuals and their families affected by autism by ensuring the highest standards in education, care and support leading to employment and equality of living opportunities.

The Aim

The Education Centre will provide help and support for academically capable children with autism so that they can progress to mainstream school and thrive there.

The Plan

Early intervention, a structured education program and tailored support services, so that pupils can succeed at key stages 1, 2 and 3 in mainstream school. To train teaching staff to work with these children, to run a transition program to prepare the children to join mainstream schools, and to give them tools to help them to cope both socially and academically in their new school.

The Education Centre

Will cater for 25 pupils, from age 3 to 11.   Each classroom will have five pupils with one teacher experienced in working with autistic children, and 2 teaching assistants.  There will also be an occupational therapist and 2 speech and language therapists on site to work closely with the children.

The Transition Programme

Pupils will be introduced to a mainstream school in a controlled way over a period of time.  The teaching assistant that has been supporting the child will accompany them. The first visit to the new school will be purely to look around.  Pupils will be slowly introduced to their new classmates and teacher starting with a short 1 hour lesson and increasing gradually over a period of time until they are ready to attend full time.  The teaching assistant will stay with the pupil at their new school, but will still get the support they need from Hearts and Minds.  This will help the pupil with their transition by ensuring continuity, and will also help the mainstream school as they will have a member of staff that knows the needs of the pupil, and has gained valuable experience working with autistic children that can be passed onto other staff at the school.

The fundraising target for the new school campaign is £1 Million.

Fundraising: As well as the mobile phone recycling campaign, the Hearts and Minds Challenge team are holding a number of charity fundraising events throughout 2012:

Manchester Marathon in April
Big Red Bike Ride in June
Trek to Macchu Picchu in August
An Evening with Mrs Brown in September

Donate on-line here: http://www.heartsandmindschallenge.org/donate/

More about the Hearts and Minds charity here:

Website: http://www.heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK
Twitter: @handmchallenge