My Super New App

St. Declan’s Community College, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford, 2013

My Super New App
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CATEGORY: Mobile for Good Challenge

The Idea

Developing an app for special needs children in mainstream secondary schools was the ambition of St. Declan’s Community College. In recent years the Government has cut the number of SNAs assigned to secondary schools. As a result, those who need the help most are being denied it.

They also aimed to raise money to buy android tablets for all the students in their ASD unit so as to provide them with a means of using the app. As part of this project, they also wished to raise awareness about how special needs students cope in mainstream schools. They wanted to show people the positives for these students of going to mainstream schools and how other people can help to make their lives in school as simple and straightforward as it is for a lot of other students. Through the development of the app, they hoped to make students’ lives easier and allow them to prosper and grow like everyone else, through their education.

The Impact

Thanks to the ASD unit in their school, they were able to see first-hand the effect that the Government cuts had on those most in need of help. They wanted to come up with a solution to the problem arising from this huge drop in numbers of SNAs. They felt that no-one should feel isolated or excluded in any aspect of their life, particularly in education. Something needed to be done to help make these student feel more included in every-day school life once again, without the worries of going to the wrong class or sitting in the wrong seat, which can be embarrassing and demoralising.

Throughout the project they worked with many different people. Firstly, with the previous year’s YSI class to find out about what they had done last year with the project. They also collaborated very closely with the ASD unit, with the teachers in the unit, Ms. Moloney and Ms. Flynn, with all the SNAs in the school and of course, the students of the ASD unit. Without their input there would be no point in doing the project. They also worked closely with Autism Action Ireland on a local and national level, Down Syndrome Ireland on a local and national level and with other ASD units in secondary schools around the country, to allow them to be involved as every school was hurt by the cuts. They also gained the support of several local businesses. They worked closely with Harvey Norman who supplied the tablets and with the students and teachers in the school who participated in all fundraising events.

Three of the students in the class began to develop the app at the start of the year, with input from other class members and from the ASD unit. They organised a ‘Crazy Hair and Make-Up Day’ to raise money for purchasing the tablets. They then organised a Christmas party for the students in the ASD unit and presented the tablets to them.

Throughout the project the team were in constant contact with DSI and AAI and they arranged an Autism Awareness Day in school and for a speaker to come in and talk to First Year students about autism and its effects on everyday life. For this, First Year students designed facts posters to be displayed around the school to ensure the whole school population be involved.

The Impact

They hoped their app would work as a substitute for an SNA and in turn help students carry on with their normal school day as best they could.

Challenge supported by
Mobile for Good Challenge