We are partnering with various therapists and educators to provide a “educational plush learning tool” that will contribute to all children’s emotional and educational development.

Occupational Therapist Testimonials

Happy customers.

The Bluebee Pal takes a standard app and turns it into something very real and tangible for these kids who so often have few friends and opportunities to communicate.

As an Occupational Therapy Practitioner on the go, traveling between schools, I am always looking for interactive toys that make learning fun for children with disabilities. The Bluebee Pal takes a standard app and turns it into something very real and tangible for these kids who so often have few friends and opportunities to communicate. The interactions between the child and the BlueBee Pal are priceless. Instead of just listening to the directions on the app, the child responds to the BlueBee Pal, increasing social engagement and communication skills.

Mollie Verdie – Occupational Therapy Practitioner

I just found the perfect solution to the disinterested child….. A Bluebee Pal.

As an OT and a newly certified Assistive Technology provider, I am always looking for fun ways to incorporate interactive technology into to my sessions.  I often recommend educational apps and games to parents to help with follow through at home. Let’s face it: Kids love technology. It’s important for them to still manipulate and play with toys, games, and puzzles, but a tablet or cell phone can be used in any location to work on almost any goal.

 – Jamie Spencer – Occupationnel Therapist/ Assistive Technology Specialist

As an Occupational Therapist, Bluebee Pal is the Voice to a Non-Verbal Child as it connects to any AAC app!

Bluebee Pal is a multi-faceted tool that subtly plays an integral role in the treatment protocol of a child. As an Occupational Therapist, Bluebee Pal is the Voice to a Non-Verbal Child as it connects to any AAC app. The cuddly, huggable plush animal provides Sensory Input , Facilitates Social Skills, encourages  Imaginative Play, Communication skills and emotional  Connection. I have also used Bluebee Pal in conjunction with the iPad as a token reward after the child has completed a writing or any fine motor activity. Bluebee Pal’s versatility is definitely great to have in your treatment goody bag and encourage all special educators and parents to bond the child with Bluebee Pal in the day to day developmental activities.

Bindu Ramchandani – Occupationnel Therapist

Speech Therapist Testimonials

Like most children he learns best when he is motivated and engaged,

I work with a young student with autism who is non-verbal and uses a communication device with Speak for Yourself to communicate.  Like most children he learns best when he is motivated and engaged, but he needs lots of repetition to learn, and can easily get satiated on the same toys and games. Two of his favorite things are animals and technology, so I was excited to try the Bluebee Pal zebra with him. I connected the Zebra to my iPad and used the Speak for Yourself app to talk to him and ask him questions.  He loved it!  He was laughing and smiling, used his talker to communicate with his pal and followed simple “Give me ___” directions given by the zebra.   The next time he came to speech, the first toy he requested was the Zebra.

– Sharon Stanley SLP

I knew instantly that this was something I could easily incorporate into my therapy sessions!

As a speech and language therapist working with young children with language delays and disorders, I find myself looking for ways to engage them in therapy.  They LOVE playing on my iPad, but they often become “lost” in the screen and want to push all the buttons vs. doing speech and language therapy. As soon as I saw the Bluebee , I knew instantly that this was something I could easily incorporate into my therapy sessions!

I would recommend this product to any speech and language therapist who would like another trick in their bag to engage children in therapy sessions. I am very happy with this product and hope to have two or three in my therapy room!

 – Katie R. Lambert, M.S., SLP LIC-CCC

What I found most effective with the Bluebee Pal was the ability to use it for role playing

I think any child would enjoy this interactive learning tool. Children with special needs (e.g. Autism, ADHD, Social Communication Disorder, etc) could benefit from this interactive tool because of the various goals that I targeted below. What I found most effective with the Bluebee Pal was the ability to use it for role playing for a child with delayed or disordered pragmatic language. Bluebee Pals are not threatening or intimidating. They are cuddly stuffed animals that can be great tools to practice a variety of concepts such as initiating communication (e.g. “excuse me”, “can you play with me?”).

– Rebecca Eisenberg, MS, CCC-SLP,MS, CCC-SLP,

Bluebee Pals are like rewards and learning tools in one cuddly package!

“Bluebee Pals have been an instant hit during speech-language therapy sessions! I have used Bluebee Pals with our students with Autism across all range of abilities. Bluebee Pals have helped us learn grammar concepts, work on our articulation skills, have conversations with appropriate pragmatic language skills, and even helped us use our AAC devices! Bluebee Pals are like rewards and learning tools in one cuddly package!”

Punam Desormes, M.A., CCC-SLP:Speech-Language Therapist-Princeton House Charter School

The following organizations are participants in The Bluebee Pals Project:

 

 

QSAC Bluebee Pals were donated to QSAC to participate with therapists as a learning tool for children with Autism. They are a highly respected and dedicated organization with 1700 support agencies. 

QSAC is a highly respected and dedicated New York City and Long Island based nonprofit with 1700 support agencies. QSAC supports children and adults with autism, together with their families, in achieving greater independence, realizing their future potential, and contributing to their communities in a meaningful way by offering person-centered services.

Rocio Chavez is currently the Assistant Director for the Quality Services for the Autism Community’s (QSAC) After School Programs.

She also facilitates a social skills group for children with high functioning autism and a sibling support group. Rocio holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Behavioral Applications from Queens College, and a dual master’s degree in General and Special Education, Birth-Grade 2 from Touro College. Rocio is also a licensed behavior analyst. She has provided clinical consultations in school and home based settings, and most recently provided consultation for the Broadway play The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime. Rocio has also assisted in designing staff training and student curriculum and has co-authored a chapter in the book Behavioral Detectives: A Staff Training Exercise Book in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has presented on various topics including stimulus-stimulus pairing and reinforcer assessments at The New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) convention as well as The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) convention. Rocio has conducted research on self-management training in preschoolers with autism and stimulus-stimulus pairing. She has worked with children and young adults on the autism spectrum for the over ten years. www.QSAC.com

QSAC and Bluebee Pals    

QSAC and Bluebee Pals

QSAC and Bluebee Pals

     “We used the Blue Blee Pals (BBP) to introduce some activities that we would normally implement with a direct instructor, but used the Blue Bee Pals instead. We tried using BBP to help a student generalize instructions delivered from the BBP instead of the instructor, and also to recognize body parts. Using the Proloquo2go program, which is a communication app, we typed out directives (e.g., touch nose) and the student was able to generalize the instruction and touch the Blue Bee’s nose once he heard the directive. Children with autism often have difficulty discriminating across people, instructions, settings, etc. and seeing this student generalize the directive, not given by an instructor was wonderful. We also used BBP for story time activities. The students were interested in the Blue Bee Pal “reading” the story and were curious to touch it. Overall, using BBP was a different spin on how we would normally teach our students. It is a fun tool to use!”  –  Rocio E. Chavez and Dita DeSena

 

 

Autism Early Enrichment Services (AEES)Bluebee Pals were donated to AEES to participate in the therapy of children with Autism.

Autism Early Enrichment Services (AEES) is a New York City based Early Intervention program that is rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis and incorporates strategies from various development models to serve the needs of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s).

The AEES program uses an interdisciplinary approach, where teams of special instructors, speech therapists and occupational therapists consistently work together over long periods of time. AEES strongly believes in cultivating synergistic relationships among therapists so that they may over time, be well practiced at tailoring their intervention to the specific needs of families they serve.

The AEES program adheres to core principles of the national Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, based on Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Intervention is provided to the maximum extent possible in natural and inclusive environments and integrated throughout typical everyday experiences, where parents play a primary role in their child’s learning. www.aees.us.com

Testimonials:

“The Bluebee pal has been a great additional tool for our ABA teachers to use to encouurage communication and language with our little learners diagnosed with autism.  Finding new and exciting toys that are also educational AND motivating is not always easy.  We are so grateful to have such an invaluable toy as part of our teaching tools.”

– Mariann Lai, M.S.Ed, S.A.S., BCBA Program Director at Autism Early Enrichment Services

“The addition to the Bluebee Pal Teddy Bear into our home has been a very exciting and creative learning experience for both my children; ages 3 and 6. Being able to incorporate their favorite stories and songs with the interaction of the Bluebee Pal has not only captured their attention, but has enhanced their individual learning experiences.”

– Danielle, Parent

“It is a great toy and educational tool. My son is in love with the lion. He will sleep only if the lion tells him a story. Love it!” – Dave, Parent

 “My 3 year old daughter loves it, she will play with the Lions tail and sing along to lullabies. She also likes when I am able to call her through it, and when it reads her stories. She loves to hold on to it when she goes to sleep. As nice as the Blubees are; I wish it had a longer battery life. All in all a good product.”

– Sheikh Moonis, Parent

“The Bluebee was a huge hit, in a room full of 2 and 3 year olds! They were completely engaged while the lion was telling a story, and didn’t want him to stop! Adorable.”

– Jennifer B. – Parent/Early Intervention Recruiter

“Bluebee Pals are great! My seven year old loves to have a bedtime story read to him every night by his lion. It is easy to setup and they are many apps that can work with it. The speaker sound is great and clear. This is easily a five star product.”

–Mark, Parent

“The Bluebee Pal is not only able to captivate my 3-year old, but has allowed for a very engaging and exciting learning experience. He really enjoys stories being read, as well as dancing to his favorite music with his bear. A product that I will definitely be recommending to other moms of preschool age children.”

–Jaime, Parent

“My daughter absolutely loves when we she is able to hear my voice through her Bluebee Pal. She takes her Sheep to bed with her every single night, and has been able to put herself to sleep knowing that she is able to hear my voice or her favorite lullaby if needed.”

– Jessica, Parent

“My 10 year-old daughter loves using her reading apps on her Lion Bluebee Pal. She also loves listening to music and using her Bluebee as a speaker. She really enjoys calling her friends as well, especially since she can talk to them directly through her Bluebee Pal.”

– Luisa, Parent

“I love the Bear Bluebee for my girls. My 4-year old uses it for reading her a stories and my 7 year old enjoys using it to listen to her music.  Thanks for creating such a great toy that can be used for all age levels.”

– Amy, Parent

“My students love when we incorporate the Bluebee Pal into our daily story time. They get extremely excited and are more attentive as a result. I am happy to have a product that engages my students and allows them to have fun while learning!” – Janice, Kindergarten Teacher

“The use of the Bluebee during ABA sessions has served as a reinforcing tool that actively engages the children that I work with. Being able to work on a variety of skills by incorporating the Bluebee Pal has been a fantastic motivator. Children love to engage with their favorite apps, as well as practice on telephone skills with familiar family member. I will definitely continue to incorporate the Blueebee Pal into ABA sessions.

–Michelle, ABA Provider

MRS.  WAGNERS SPEECH THERAPY CLASS

Helen H. Wagner, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Saks Elementary School
Anniston, Alabama

Bluebee Pals were donated to Mrs.Helen Wagner’s Children’s Speech Therapy Class in Aniston, Alabama.

My name is Helen Wagner.  I am a Speech Language Pathologist working in public schools in Alabama.  With over 30 years of experience, I have used lots and lots of materials!!! I have embraced the use of technology in my speech therapy classes because I have seen the difference it has made with engaging and motivating my students!

I love using the Bluebee Pals in therapy!!! The kids enjoy them and I keep coming up with ways to incorporate these furry friends into my students’ goals. In my room, we also call them our communication partners because they help us work on a variety of speech skills.

I have all of your You Tell Me Stories, and my kids ask for them over and over!  I used our Bluebee Pals along with your stories and the kids went crazy!! They loved reading along with Lion, Bear, Zebra and Sheep! I noticed increased active engagement during our lesson! This translated to improved retell skills and improved memory for main idea and comprehension of important story facts. The REAL joy of the lessons was when the students recorded and retold the story, in sequence!  The Bluebee Pals were talking in THEIR voices!!!! They were sooooo excited!  Oh! How they love recording and listening to themselves!!! They were eager to email their own recorded narratives to our speech room, their teacher and their parents!

Bluebee Pals are an excellent tool to use with Tell Me A Story apps!!!  Together, they are powerful motivators for my early learners!

– Helen H. Wagner, M.S., CCC-SLP

“Using our Bluebee Pals as communication partners, we have read story apps such as The Three Little Pigs and Green Eggs and Ham, and the students listen more attentively as our friends read the story!  Students retell the stories, sequence events, and answer comprehension questions with increased success!

We have been using our Bluebee Pals with the Speech Tutor app to practice sound production skills.  Our Pal becomes the teacher along with the training video on the app, and the students have fun imitating the Pal’s productions!

Our Pals inspired us as we played Toca Hair Salon!  Leo the Lion got a new hairdo!  We have had fun working with our Bluebee Pals to learn shapes and numbers with Tiggly!  We also sing along with our Pals during music!

Bluebee Pals are great to use during articulation therapy!  We have used Voice Recorder Free and several specialized articulation apps, such as Communication Station Pro, to practice sound production skills!  With these apps,  students  record themselves producing targeted sounds in words, phrases or sentences.  During playback, the Bluebee Pals “say” the words in the child’s voice, with the child receiving auditory feedback on his/her own productions!  The students are much more motivated to self-monitor their speech productions!  Listening to their own auditory feedback helps my students collect and track their own data.”

“I have found my students to be much more highly engaged and motivated to practice their communication skills with the addition of Bluebee Pals in my therapy classroom!” 

– Helen H. Wagner, M.S., CCC-SLP 

 

a.c.t. Apps, Consulting and Training
Jackie Bryla

 

Jackie Bryla founder of a.c.t. – Apps, Consulting and Training is a speech language pathology assistant (SLPA) in California.  Her experience includes working with transitional kindergarten through high school age students as well as students with special needs within the functional skills and autism classrooms.  She is highly experienced in technology and has creatively used apps with dozens of students.

Are you a parent, educator, app developer, or product designer for tablets (IOS or Android)?

a.c.t. may be just what you are looking for:

  • Customized “app use” trainings to meet your needs; parent teacher groups, preschool, home school settings, school districts, university and college speech/language or early childhood educational programs
  • Beta Testing for new app development – test on ‘live’ users
  • App Reviews
  • Creative ideas for using apps within educational settings
  • Market your product in a ‘real world’ training setting (ie: tablet case, stand, accessory)

Individualized app information, ideas and customized educational workshops brought to you.  Researching the hundreds of thousand apps that have been developed is a monstrous and time-consuming task.  Take the guesswork out of choosing quality apps and let a.c.t. help you.  Customized workshops focus on educational features of apps and how to integrate them into speech and language therapy and other educational settings. www.actbyjackiebryla.com

Testimonials:

Over the past few weeks I have been using the Bluebee Pals during therapy. WOW, what a game changer for some of the most-challenging kiddos. I have found them to be engaging, enticing and a true source of enjoyment. Every so often there is the student that just doesn’t seem to be motivated or interested; he or she may just be completely content to have no interaction. BUT, helping facilitate communication is my job and when my new little pals accompanied me I saw a change with a couple of kids. I now had joint attention, big smiles, engagement and interest. In just a matter of a couple of speech and language sessions, one student is commenting and requesting with her AAC device, “bear soft”, “I want zebra”, “Zebra sing”.  

I also had the pleasure of demonstrating the use of the Bluebee Pals during a recent Language and Literacy workshop. I enabled the Bluetooth on my ipad, opened the Weesing 123 App and passed the lion around the room. The attendees loved it.  

All the students love the Bluebee Pals. One 5th grade boy asked if he could take it back to the classroom! We have had a blast practicing articulation therapy by using the recording feature on one of my favorite articulation apps, Articulation Station PRO by Little Bee Speech. The students now come to the speech room and ask if they can use the animals while they practice reading and recording their articulation stories.

Just all around fun!

– Jackie Bryla

Dr. Howard Shane

PhD, CCC-SLP

Autism Language Program
Boston Children’s Hospital

Howard Shane’s research focus is on children with complex communication impairment related to autism and other developmental disorders. Currently he is studying the use of technology and visual supports to improve communication and learning in persons with autism. He is keenly interested in the development of a visual language system to both improve and augment the spoken language system for persons with autism who have difficulty processing spoken language.

Dr. Shane’s earlier research focused on the development of augmentative and alternative communication systems for persons with neuromuscular disorders.

 

 Hasbro Children’s Hospital

 

Hasbro Children’s Hospital is deeply committed to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care for children through the latest research. Their clinical research has garnered national and international recognition, including an estimated ten new awards per year for the last five years.

Marianne T. Cooney, CCLS
Providence, RI

www.hasbrochildrenshospital.org

 

 

AblePlayTM and The National Lekotek Center

             

The National Lekotek Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting play for children of all abilities. Lekotek believes play is the way kids learn, develop skills and reach milestones. The Lekotek mission is to make the world of play accessible to all children, especially those who have special needs.

Toys and play empower children to reach their potential and increase inclusion within their families and communities. Lekotek has a network of 17 affiliates across the United States dedicated to working with children by utilizing toys and play to grow, learn and thrive.

Lekotek has combined experience working with kids and families, child development expertise and knowledge of toys and play products to develop AblePlay—a national outreach to provide information and evaluations on the developmental potential of toys and play.

AblePlayTM is a toy rating system and website that provides comprehensive information on toys and play products for children of all abilities. AblePlay was created so parents, friends, family members, educators, therapists and others can make the best decisions when purchasing products for children in their lives, especially children with special needs.

www.ableplay.org and www.lekotek.org

Testimonials:

“The National Lekotek Center is a network of 17 sites across 9 states—each site received a donation of 2 Bluebee Pals to add to their lending libraries. Lekotek was thrilled and grateful to receive such a generous donation of products that will benefit kids with special needs and their families!”

–Jean Bailey, Director of the National Lekotek Center

 

   “Bluebee Pals provide kids with auditory, tactile and visual sensory experiences during play—snuggly soft fur to touch, friendly face to see and inviting voice to hear.”

–Megan Murphy, Developmental Therapist

“Bluebee Pals enable experiential learning. The plush is inviting and begs for speech and language involvement through pretend play, story time or connecting with someone on the phone.”

–Hayley Anderson, CTRS

“Kids quickly warm up to Bluebee Pals and mimic their actions. Pretend play is a beneficial influence on social/emotional development—Bluebee Pals help kids be self-confident to be self-expressive.”

–Ahren Hoffman, CTRS

“Mixing traditional toys with apps is a great way to add more play value!” –Gerardo Perez, CTRS
“I love reading stories with my brother using Bluebee Pals!”

–Rebecca A., Chicago, IL

“We enjoy using Bluebee Pals to talk to Grandma and Grandpa in Florida. The lion keeps Abbie engaged longer because there is a visual representation of the conversation and something for her to play with!”

–Carrie G., Chicago, IL

 

   Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center

Katie R. Lambert, M.S., SLP LIC-CCC
Speech and Language Pathologist

Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center
Sacramento, CA 95819

www.ssrlc.org

As a speech and language therapist working with young children with language delays and disorders, I find myself looking for ways to engage them in therapy.  They LOVE playing on my iPad, but they often become “lost” in the screen and want to push all the buttons vs. doing speech and language therapy. As soon as I saw the Bluebee product I knew instantly that this was something I could easily incorporate into my therapy sessions!

I LOVE that the children are engaged in what the bear is doing! They attend to its mouth while it is moving; this is exciting for a speech and language therapist because it can be tricking getting young children to understand the concept of “look at my mouth moving” one of the key ideas in communication! Also, they are not focused on the screen of the iPad or the novelty of pressing buttons just to press them, they are using their language to navigate their world by telling me (or even the bear) what they want or the answers to the prompts within the apps. My clients have begun talking along with the bear! They are even asking for the bear to read them a story;huge success just in requesting!

I would recommend this product to any speech and language therapist who would like another trick in their bag to engage children in therapy sessions. I am very happy with this product and hope to have two or three in my therapy room!

– Katie R. Lambert, M.S., SLP LIC-CCC

 

  

Jessie Baker School

Sharon Stanley SLP

Jessie Baker School
Elk Grove, CA 95624

Bluebee Pals were donated to The Jessie Baker School in Elk Grove, California. Jessie Baker School is the first public school in California dedicated to teaching students with severe disabilities.

Jessie Baker School is a public special education school located in Elk- Grove, CA.  It has the distinction of being the first public school in California dedicated to teaching students with severe disabilities.  The school was started by its namesake 53 years ago.  Jessie Baker was the mother of a student with Down Syndrome who fought vigorously for the rights of students with special needs to receive a free and appropriate education.  Today, the passion to educate students with severe disabilities is reflected in the 50 teachers and  paraprofessionals who serve to mentor, coach and educate approximately 180 students ranging in age from 5-22.   Sharon Stanley is the speech and language pathologist (SLP) at Jessie Baker.   Her motto is “Communication for All” and she advocates for the rights of all children, regardless of their disability or level of functioning, to receive access to high-tech communication devices.  Bluebee Pals supports Sharon’s mission and has provided her with 26 Bluebee Pals to help motivate and encourage her students to communicate to the best of their abilities. 

Check back often for stories of how the Bluebee Pals are making a difference in the lives of her students. 

JessieBakerWalk.blogspot.com

Testimonials:

Every teacher knows that the end of the school year can be a challenge!   The kids are ready to start their summer vacation and aren’t as eager to listen to the teacher.   We received a donation of Bluebee Pals at just the right time.   One of our teachers, Nikki Castaneda,  connected her Bluebee Pal Lion to her iPad with Speak for Yourself.  Using the Hold that Thought feature, she programmed several routine directions into her iPad as well as some fun phrases, such as “Are you kidding me?”;  “Hahaha.”   “Awesome!”.  When students needed to transition to the next activity, she had the lion, give the direction and the praise.  The kids loved it! 

– Sharon Stanley SLP

I work with a young student with autism who is non-verbal and uses a communication device with Speak for Yourself to communicate.  Like most children he learns best when he is motivated and engaged, but he needs lots of repetition to learn, and can easily get satiated on the same toys and games.   Two of his favorite things are animals and technology, so I was excited to try the Bluebee Pal zebra with him.   I connected the Zebra to my iPad and used the Speak for Yourself app to talk to him and ask him questions.  He loved it!  He was laughing and smiling, used his talker to communicate with his pal and followed simple “Give me ________” directions given by the zebra.   The next time he came to speech, the first toy he requested was the Zebra. 

– Sharon Stanley SLP

 

 

NWO Apraxia Support

Beth McIntosh
President
NWO Apraxia Support

 
Bluebee Pals were donated to NWO Apraxia Support to be put into the hands of those impacted by apraxia and other invisible disabilities. The Bluebee Pals will be used in therapy and at home to enhance the therapy experience and increase the engagement of the child.

NWO Apraxia Support is a 501(c)(3) regional nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families impacted by and raising awareness about Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) and other invisible disabilities (including, but not limited to SPD, anxiety, epilepsy, non-specific learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia, autism, tourette’s syndrome, and other speech and language disorders), as well as providing grants to fund supplemental therapies, treatments, activities, or equipment that will enhance the lives of individual children impacted by CAS and other invisible disabilities. We seek to provide information and resources for all families impacted by CAS and invisible disabilities, but focus funding those close to home in Northwestern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. We are an all volunteer organization made up of parents, grandparents, caregivers and professionals working together to make a difference one family at a time.

Since December of 2012 NWO Apraxia Support has provided $94,000 in grants for therapeutic summer camp, equipment and other activities to impact more than 293 area children, teachers, therapists and therapy facilities. They have connected with more than 200 families from Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. NWO Apraxia Support has helped them to network, share resources, and obtain funds necessary for appropriate treatment. NWO Apraxia Support continues to build a meaningful network of parents, therapists, teachers and businesses to help their superheroes!

www.nwoapraxiasupport.org

 

Testimonials:

   Karys enjoying movie time with Leo the Lion

 

 

Follow the adventures of Kari, Karys and Kai Sherwood  – “I’m not a rockstar but I am a single mom, which is basically the same thing. I have two on the Autism Spectrum. I work as an Instructional Designer and reside in Port Clinton, Ohio.”  Mommy first, rockstar second

 

Chloe Rothschild with her friend “Lambie” The Bluebee Pal

 

Bluebee Pals and NWO Apraxia Support thank you for my lamb!!! I love it!!!!!! I can’t wait to see the potential that this lamb has in therapy and in my life! I’m very willing to let lambie speak what I tap or type on Proloquo2Go

   

Mighty Oaks Children’s Therapy Center

Heather Mackey, MS, CCC-SLP
Executive Director
Mighty Oaks Children’s Therapy Center

Albany, OR 97322

In 1983 a need was identified for local, medically-based, pediatric therapy services to help children with special needs on the quest for greater independence.  Parents and therapists united in a coalition, and Mighty Oaks Children’s Therapy Center was formed.  Founded upon the belief that all children deserve a chance to fulfill their potential for independence and success Mighty Oaks Children’s Therapy Center offers comprehensive, family-centered therapy provided by experienced, licensed, and dedicated pediatric specialists for children with all types of disabilities (developmental, physical, cognitive, injury-related such as car accidents, neglect/abuse, drug/alcohol effects, etc.).

Mighty Oaks has a long history of strengthening families.  In addition to the therapy services we offer we also provide advocacy, parent trainings, and educational resources to help parents and caregivers acquire the needed skills and information to nurture their children with special needs and help them reach the greatest possible level of independence. 

In September, Mighty Oaks will be opening a developmental preschool for special needs children. The inaugural class will consist of 69 toddlers from ages 3-6.

www.mightyoakschildren.org

 

Testimonials:

“I am absolutely thrilled to use Bluebee Pals in this program. I have been with Mighty Oaks for over 11 years and have recently taken over the executive director position. I am so excited to share these with all of our families and therapists in all of the various disciplines. I cannot thank you enough from the bottom of my heart. ”  
– Heather Mackey, MS, CCC-SLP

 

 

 

 The J. D. McCarty Center 
The J. D. McCarty Center for children with developmental disabilities is Oklahoma’s “center of excellence” in the care and treatment of children with special needs. At the McCarty Center, they help children with developmental disabilities learn to move, eat, play and communicate better. The J. D. McCarty Center was founded in 1946, by a veterans group called the 40 et 8 of Oklahoma. The 40 et 8 was an honor society within the American Legion.When the McCarty Center first opened its doors to patients they only treated one diagnosis – cerebral palsy. Today, They have treated more than 100 different diagnoses in the developmental disability category.

Children that are referred to the hospital are first evaluated by our team. Our staff of pediatricians, pediatric specialists, registered nurses /LPNs, direct care specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitian, clinical psychologist, psychology clinicians and social workers focus on getting a child to their highest level of functionality and independence.

Angela Moorad,
Speech-Language Pathologist at J.D. McCarty Center

Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist with over 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and also utilizes Bluebee Pals in her work as a SLP at the center.

www.jdmc.org

 

Creating Pathways Pediatric Therapy

Shay Copple
M.S., CCC-SLP
Creating Pathways Pediatric Therapy
Keizer OR 97303

Creating Pathways Pediatric Therapy is an Oregon Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) offering pediatric occupational therapy and speech language services to children birth to 18 years of age in the Keizer/Salem Oregon area. Our mission is to provide high quality, accessible, and effective pediatric therapy to the community that fosters a child’s ability to learn, play, and reach their developmental potential.

“I’m always eager to find new and creative ways to help little ones with functional communication. I think this just might be the ticket! Many of my clients are medically fragile or struggling with communication due to moderate to severe communication disorders and would warm right up to the idea of talking to a stuffed animal. Our clinic is small but mighty with almost 100 clients.”  – Shay Copple Pediatric Speech/Language Pathologist

http://www.creatingpathwaystherapy.com/

 

 

 Seven Oak Middle School

Amelia White
Resource and Functional Skills Teacher
Seven Oak Middle School
Lebanon, OR 97355

Amelia is a first year teacher at Seven Oaks middle school who is also a parent of a special needs young man with autism. Amelia loves working with special needs children, especially kids with autism. “Their accomplishments, regardless of how big or how small they may seem to others, are the most rewarding” says Amelia. Most of Amelia’s students will be working on lower level academic with some life skills included. However, there are five students that will be working on life skills, communication, and functional academics that will benefit greatly from the use of Bluebee Pals.

www.lebanon.k12.or.us/schools/seven_oak/index.php

  Green Acres Elementary School

Sonya Hostetter
Special Education Teacher with a Master’s in Special Education.
District Level Basic Skills Elementary Program for the Lebanon Community School District.

Sonya’s class serves students with severe autism, down syndrome, medically fragile students, and students with severe behavioral or communication needs. The students in her classroom are students who need an increased level of support that cannot be met at their home school. Sonya’s classroom has a high adult to student ratio, is very structured and provides direct instruction in a 1:1 setting. Also assisting in this class are skilled Personal Care Assistants that are trained in medical care as well as de-escalation strategies, augmentative communication, physical therapy and occupational therapy programs overseen by the OT and PT.

“This is my 5th year teaching and I absolutely love my job and especially this population in which I am able to work with.” – Sonya Hostetter

Story Time at Green Acres Elementary School


    

     

“One of our students loves to dance and play with her Lamb Bluebee Pal. She feeds it and shares her juice with it while it sings her favorite songs to her. It has been an amazing calming tool for her.”
– Sonya Hostetter

www.lebanon.k12

  

 McLean School
Established by Lenore and Delbert Foster in 1954, McLean School has been transforming lives for sixty years. McLean’s original mission was to provide a learning environment that would serve the needs and gifts of all kinds of students. After the Fosters retired in 1978, a group of dedicated parents, faculty, and staff formed a nonprofit corporation and relocated McLean to the current Lochinver Lane campus in Potomac, Maryland.

McLean School transforms lives. McLean is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school for bright students in kindergarten through grade 12. We welcome both traditional learners and those with mild to moderate learning differences—including ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, and language-based differences, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia.

Sara Hines
Head of Lower School
McLean School
Potomac, Maryland

Sara has a Ph.D in Special Education:Learning Disabilities, and for the past twenty years, she has been turning her passion into action—as a teacher, supervisor of teachers, program administrator, and college professor. Sara brings to McLean a long list of professional achievements: among others, classroom teacher and Director of Tutor Training at the Lab School of Washington; elementary school Learning Specialist at Sidwell Friends School; college professor and researcher in special education at Hunter College in New York City.
 
Sara has published numerous studies of early childhood literacy development and techniques of classroom support for students with learning disabilities.

 The Soifer Center
The Soifer Center is a multi-disciplinary child development center providing assessment, therapeutic and advocacy services for children who are struggling with language and speech, literacy and learning, social and emotional, or other academic challenges.

Additionally, The Soifer Center offers a complement of classes designed to give the necessary tools to both educators and parents so they can answer the question, “Who Is This Child”?

The Soifer Center
White Plains NY 10604

www.soifercenter.com

Middle Ridge Elementary School Middle Ridge Elementary School

Middle Ridge Elementary School offers a meaningful learning environment derived from research based strategies, focusing on higher level thinking in order to construct triumphant visionaries that can succeed in the 21st Century.

Special Education Classroom:

Total 10 students and 3 Paraprofessionals
5 mostly non-verbal – 5 verbal
All students receive Speech and Occupational Therapy
3 Students receive Adaptive PE
2 Students with seizures

Middle Ridge Elementary School

Principal

Dr. Forehand
Covington, GA 30014

Shanna Powell
Certified Special Education Teacher
Self- Contained Classroom K-5
Mindset Instructor
“Sprouting New Root” Outdoor STEM Lab Coordinator

“Teaching these kids is my passion and my destiny. Reaching them in a way that “they learn” is what I strive to do. I don’t not hold them back from anything, they CAN and they WILL learn in my class.”
  – Shanna Powell

 

Middle Ridge Elementary School

Soldier Creek Elementary

Julie Fox
1921 SE 15th
MidWest City, Ok 73130

Julie is a ASHA certified speech-language pathologist working for the Mid-Del school district in Oklahoma City. She currently works with 30 students who have the diagnosis of autism. Julie is also on the district assistive technology team working with teachers across the district to support children with special needs.

Julie Fox has a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Wichita State University and has been practicing for 26 years. Nine years she began working on an Assistive Technology Team where she worked in Texas. While there, Julie provided assistance to IEP teams working on implementing and assessing the need for AT. Julie moved to Oklahoma due to a job change for her husband and began working for Mid-Del. Julie loves what she does, giving a voice to students who don’t have one.

“There is nothing like seeing joy in the eyes of a child who has never been able to tell someone what they need or want, that moment of joy is indescribable” – Julie

“Our classroom has just begun using our new BlueBees. The kids love using Storytime Online having books read to them. Before the BlueBees the kids liked the stories but since we have added the animals they sit up and pay much better attention. As a speech pathologist, I have also used BlueBees with the app Language Acquisition through Motor Planning, LAMP, it is an augmentative communication application.  I hook the BlueBee up and have the animal talk to my student via the app. The kids really take to the animal and interact with it more than they do with me. There is something less threatening I guess. They love it!”  – Julie

       

Explorer K-8/Hernando County Public Schools

10252 Northcliffe Boulevard
Spring Hill, FL 34608

Hernando County School District has earned full SACS accreditation. Distinction as a SACS accredited district means that all 23 public schools in Hernando County will be fully accredited until 2020.


Martha Myers M.A., SLP
Martha Myers is a speech therapist from The Explorer K-8/Hernando County Public Schools in Spring Hill, FL and is taking part in the Bluebee Pals Project.

 

Martha has provided us with informative “Assistive Technology App” recommendations to engage her students as well as feedback on the outcome of utilizing Bluebee Pals in her classroom as an educational learning tool.

Here are the different ways Martha Myers has utilized The Bluebee Pals in her classroom.

Recently, I have been using them to read aloud TarHeel Reader stories that have been imported into Pictello. The students are now able to sustain attention to the entire story whereas before, they would disengage after a page or two. I attribute the increased attention/engagement to the addition of the Bluebee pals. The kids are fascinated by the animal’s moving mouth.

I have one student who loves to listen to music, but he is unable to stay seated whenever I play music (he’s all over the room). If I give him one of the pals to hold during our music activity, he will remain seated and then is able to access his communication board to request more, or state preferences (“I like it” or “don’t like it”). This has been a huge breakthrough for him in recognizing the power of communication.

I use several AAC apps (Speak For Yourself, PQ2G, Aacorn, Avaz, etc.) during my therapies. The pals say each word and give the kids directions, make comments, answer questions, etc. which is very motivating for my nonverbal students. The kids are much more likely to program 2+ words into the device in order to make the animal talk so the animals are helping to expand utterances via AAC.

In addition, there are Bluebee Pals in three of my Pre-Kindergarten disabilities classes and the teachers will be using them with the students and providing feedback. I imagine they’ll be even more creative than I am and will come up with even more ways to use them. We also have 3 therapists now at my school and The Blueee Pals are available for their use along with the other therapists in our district. We’re all excited to have the opportunity to use them to enhance our programs.

The Positive Results:

I have a student who has refused to come with me for therapy all year (she’s missing the “circle/music” time in class) and it’s been a huge challenge getting her out the door. The last two sessions, she has jumped up and walked right out with me. As soon as we get to my room, she requests one of the Pals. I absolutely know that the Pals are the reason for her willingness to come now. Problem solved!

Yesterday (same student), we used the lion and placed “a call to Santa” (it’s an app). She carried on an extensive conversation with Santa via the Lion Bluebee Pal and I’ve never heard her produce more than 2-3 syllables/words…ever! Most of what she was saying was unintelligible, but OMGosh! She was talking! A lot! We had a great time!

www.edline.net/pages/HCSB_EK8

Terry Kappe SLP
Director of a private practice clinic in California
Speech & Language Therapy Services

I am a proud owner of 3 Bluebee pals. As an AAC/AT specialist and a
practicing speech language pathologist, they have become important
therapy tools and partners in my assessments.  I spend a lot of time in
different special education classes doing evaluations and enjoy the
students’ reactions when I come in with one of my “friends”.  Even
better when my pal starts talking using my favorite AAC app.  When I do
a class lesson, I have one of my pals join me and they help to engage
the students.  These pals are great ways to integrate technology with
social interaction, and I am just beginning to explore their
possibilities.  As an AAC/AT specialist, I also appreciate the ease with
which they work and the clear and simple video instructions provided on
the website.

Princeton House Charter School  
Charter School
Address: 1166 Lee Rd, Orlando, FL 32810
 

“This a very special school dedicated to children with Autism who’s teachers are determined to apply creative forms of technology in their classrooms. These 12 teachers and 2 therapists (speech )assembled in a meeting to collaborate on the various applications to integrate Bluebee Pals in their fall school sessions”.

Teachers and therapists will evaluate the Bluebee Pal Pro in their classrooms and plan to document and measure the results to share with their peers and offer testimonials for the Bluebee Pals Website. “We are thrilled to have the participation of these dedicated professionals and anticipate the results of their work”.

The faculty discussed two specific formats to utilize Bluebee as a “Talking Educational Teaching Tool” in their classrooms.

Bluebee Pal Pro in the Classroom :

1. Connect Bluebee to Apps with a Narrative – Apps by Categories for Verbal and Nonverbal Children . Example: AAC , Speech Therapy, Educational , Story Telling & Voice Recorded Apps.

2. Connect Bluebee to Lesson Plans : Teachers Laptops Connect to White Smart Boards-Laptops are Bluetooth enabled for Apple and Android Devices.

Kayle Concepts will be monitoring Princeton House Charter School results during the school season.

Special Education Testimonials
Happy customers.

Barbara Cannon, M.Ed-Assistive Technology Specialist-Spotsylvania County (Virginia) Schools

 

“As a specialist in providing non-verbal students with alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), I am always looking for ways to teach students to use voice output apps to communicate and learn language. Bluebee is a unique tool for this purpose and a great friend as well!  Students love to watch Bluebee’s mouth move as he speaks. They soon begin to press buttons themselves to watch him talk.  Bluebee is a wonderful way to introduce and model the use of a communication app. I consider him to be an important educational tool that provides a bridge between learning and fun.”

Laura Kirdahy, Special Education -SLP/ Assistive Technology Specialist- Penncrest School District

“I took the puppy into a preschool special education classroom for children with complex needs and they loved it.  In another classroom, my teacher paired it with her computer which was projecting onto the smart board. She did a reading lesson and gave each student a book to follow along with on the smartboard and the lion “read” the story.  They were so engaged! It was awesome. My co-worker did a presentation to district curriculum directors for many large school districts and used the Bluebee as part of her presentation. “

Laura Wiliams - ESE Classroom Teacher 2nd-3rd Grade-Princeton House Charter School

“I was amazed the first time I used Bluebee to read a story. Every student immediately focused on Bluebee and the book immediately … something we have been working on all year! Instead of my students seeing reading activities as non-preferred “work”, Bluebee makes it a more positive and play-like experience.”

Theresa Bennett, M.Ed-Special Education Teacher

“A good friend of mine has a daughter with Rett Syndrome. She bought her a Bluebee and her daughter LOVED IT!! Being a special education teacher, I was excited to have something new for my students.  My students are non-verbal and love the I-Pad and Interactive Board in the classroom.  It is so easy to set up Bluebee with different types of technology. My kids are partial to www.abcmouse.com and www.storiesonline.com.  They focus and attend more having the plush animal mouthing stories and singing songs!”

Jessica Carter - ESE Classroom Teacher 3rd-5th Grade-Princeton House Charter School

“We just started working with Bluebee in our classroom and the students instantly responded positively. I have several students in my class that use an AAC device to speak. When introducing the Bluebee, I explained that he also needed a device to speak, just like many of us. The kids started to explore different ways to interact with our Bluebee dog, having him read stories, talk with them one on one and even singing Adele! We could not be more excited to have Bluebee as a apart of our classroom. As a teacher of students with ASD, I am excited to discover new ways to incorporate this wonderful resource to help with all aspects of academics and building confidence with social skills.”

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