Updates
Amina's tablet is making all the difference! Mar 15, 2016
Katie, Amina's validator, just reached out with a fabulous update about Amina and her son! Check it out:
"Amina received support from Benevolent about a year ago to purchase a tablet for her autistic son to use to communicate with the family. He has used the tablet every day since it came into his life, for everything from requesting a snack to educational games to learning the alphabet. Amina reports that it has been an incredibly useful tool for her family to have access to and that she is very grateful to those who helped her to obtain it at a time when she would not have been able to otherwise. Thank you!"
Overview
I am a 26 year old mother of 3 boys, my oldest is 6 and my youngest is 2 months old. We have been homeless for the past 4 months and are now living in a 5 year transitional living program and working on gaining financial stability. My middle child is a 4 year old autistic boy who has really struggled with the changes in life lately, and I am working to make his life as stable as possible.
My goals include completing school and saving money for a home for my family. In the meantime it would be extremely helpful for my autistic son to be able to communicate with me and other people in his life. He is unable to do so on his own but has successfully used image-based programs on tablets to let me know that he is hungry, tired, sick, and more. Having full-time access to a tablet with educational programs designed for communicating with autistic children would make a world of difference in his quality of life.
I need the money to purchase a tablet with insurance and the educational software to install in order for my son to be able to communicate with me and his caregivers. There are many versions of this type of program available and I would like to be able to explore and find the program that is best suited for him and his learning and communicating style.
Meeting this need will help me because I will be able to provide much needed stability and an outlet for communicating for my son. With his needs better met, I will be able to focus more on my own education and career and the bigger goals of housing and financial stability for my family.
Need funded!
Thank you for helping Amina fund this need.
9 supporters
This need has been validated by Katie from Infant Welfare Society of Evanston
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Validated
Validated by Katie from Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (What does this mean?)
Each need is validated by a nonprofit that knows the person and can verify that the help is necessary. Funds flow from Benevolent to the nonprofit, which then gets them to the person in need and lets us know how it went.
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I have been working with Amina through the Family Support Program for several months. We met when she was pregnant with her third child and living in a shelter for domestic violence survivors with her two older children, one of whom is autistic. Despite these challenging circumstances, Amina talked animatedly and laughed through much of that first visit, and her spirit has never wavered since that day. She is truly determined to create a stable life for her children and always has their well-being as her top priority. Her 4 year old son is very bright but unable to use expressive language verbally, and would benefit enormously from having constant access to a program through which he can express his needs, desires, and thoughts.
About Katie
I am a Home Visitor at the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston. My job includes working with families with young children around child development and education. I also am a link to community resources for my clients.
I love getting to know families on a deep level and working with them on their… Read more