North Salem’s WEC Gets Grants for iPad Initiative

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. – The Westchester Exceptional Children’s School has received $5,000 from Ronald McDonald House Charities and $10,000 from the Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation in support of the school’s innovative iPad initiative.

The school is a nonprofit, year-round, New York state-approved day facility serving 80 children with autism, communication disorders, behavior disorders and medical fragility. The $15,000 in grants will pay for the purchase of 30 iPads, along with software especially designed for children with learning disabilities.

Janice Mulligan of Ronald McDonald House Charities said, “Ronald McDonald values its partnerships in the community with organizations that meet our funding priorities. WEC’s programs make a real difference in the lives of children with disabilities and we’re please to assist in their mission.”

The Carvel Foundation supports a long list of organizations, including Friends of Karen, Green Chimneys, the American Girl Scouts and the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital.

“We are so pleased that Ronald McDonald and Carvel recognize the value of our programming and the opportunities iPads offer individuals with disabilities,” said the school's executive director, Linda Zinn.

“We’ve found the iPad to be a real game changer for our students, dramatically improving their ability to learn,” she said.

As a specific example, Zinn said, “Since the iPad has a touch screen, children with autism who tend to have coordination issues using a computer mouse, respond much quicker to the touch screen, and therefore, become more motivated to learn and less inclined to episodes of frustration.”

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