November 26, 2024 – Liberty Elementary School in Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) is setting a new standard for assisting nonverbal students.
Chelsea Mccue, a mother of Liberty student Chloe and chairperson for the CUSD Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for Public Relations, recently helped install a “core communication board” on the school playground to help nonverbal students communicate.
As chairperson for the CAC, she helps bridge the gap between families of special education (“SPED”) students and the school district, raising awareness regarding the district’s SPED programs.
McCue first thought of the idea about a year before its’ installation.
She observed that several students in the school had Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, which are tools to assist people with speech or language impairments.
McCue’s device takes things to another level, allowing children to communicate on the playground no matter their verbal ability.
On the board are blocks with words to convey how someone is feeling, what they want to do, and other features. Children can indicate that they are cold or hot, want to sit down or play, or other feelings that may be difficult for nonverbal students to express through words.
McCue proposed the idea to Liberty’s principal, George Petersen, along with the Parent Teacher Club, both of whom enthusiastically supported it.
Collaborating with the CUSD grounds department and utilizing the assistance of Weave Chat AAC, a phone app, they brought McCue’s vision to life.
“The part I’m most excited about is that every time I was in communication with Rein from the Grounds Department, he always referenced that this communication board is setting the standard for the district,” McCue shared. “I’m hoping that more elementary schools will be able to get them installed on their playgrounds.”
Looking ahead, McCue is looking forward to the potential impact of Measure A on this project, hoping that CUSD will expand this initiative to other campuses.
Clovis Unified’s future looks bright with dedicated parents like McCue championing the success of their students.