As a child who is non-verbal, Adelina has developed a variety of other communication tools that help her through her daily life.
“Adelina is fiercely independent and can do a lot on her own and we wanted to ensure that she continued to feel this way in our care,” said Amelia Gunn, CCC ESL teacher. “When she came into our care, we never wanted to minimize her abilities or make her feel incapable, so we got to work to adapt our program to fit her needs.”
Amelia and the team began researching adaptive technologies and found some exciting options.
“As soon as I explained to Adelina how the application worked, she excitedly began clicking the different photos which would then verbalize the words that went along with the photos. She was thrilled to communicate so effortlessly.”
This technology combined with her usual communication methods gave Adelina more confidence and she experienced less frustration at being misunderstood.
While in CCC’s care, Adelina had a birthday.
“It doesn’t happen often, but it’s always a joy to celebrate the birthday of a child in our care. When we asked what Adelina wanted for her birthday, she said that she wanted to be a princess.”
Determined to give her an unforgettable day, the team began planning a special celebration. On her birthday they surprised her with an Elsa dress, from her favorite Disney movie. Thrilled, she immediately tried it on.
“We styled her hair in the Elsa braid and topped it with a crown and when she came out of her room, she was beaming and twirling,” said Amelia. Later that day the party continued with princess decorations and an Elsa birthday cake and presents.
Several days later, when it was time for Adelina to be reunited with her family, she insisted on wearing her Elsa dress. She wore it through the airport feeling confident, beautiful, and exactly like the special princess that she is.