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Helping Namibian Children Communicate
Widgit software and symbols, making a difference to pupils and teachers in Namibia
Rachelle Burger, a teacher at a Special School in Namibia contacted Widgit looking for help with her learners, especially those with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Due to a lack of government funding, the school was battling to keep its head above water and provide support for its 115 pupils...
When we heard Rachelle’s story and the work that was needed to support her pupils, we happily provided a copy of InPrint 3.
After further discussions with Rachelle about what support was needed, she explained that the school had several pupils who they suspected may be being abused. To help, the school now use the symbolised ‘Talk About Abuse Pack’ along with help from life-skills teachers to assist with communicating and understanding of this difficult subject.
Rachelle keeps us updated with how her class are progressing with the projects they are working on:
“We have one particular boy in our support class who started using the sandbox and help card when being overstimulated to get out of the class as a time out. He has Down’ Syndrome, is severely cognitively impaired and also non-verbal, the symbol cards have made a real difference.
In the classrooms we have seen tremendous improvement with regards to identification of shapes, colours and requesting.
I also have a girl in my class who is grinding on her teeth. It has reached a point where there are less than 0.3cm left of some teeth. We suspect anxiety and I started using the visuals to provide more structure in the class. The grinding has decreased and the child - for the first time this year - approached me and hugged me.”
Next Success Story - Building independence for children at Claverdon Nursery