Educational Support for Special Needs Children in Dublin

 As part of Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland’s “Heart of Learning Programme” we recently visited Thornleigh Educate Together Primary School in Swords, North County Dublin where we delivered iPads sponsored by The Dearcán Foundation and The Community Foundation.

Thornleigh Educate Together is a DEIS school which also caters for children with learning disabilities. Amazingly enough, these are the only iPads that the school possess and thanks to Dearcán Foundation and The Community Foundation, they will help to improve the communication skills and learning for non-verbal students and those with disabilities.

Gillian who is a teacher at Thornleigh Educate Together who is responsible for looking after the educational needs of children with disabilities within the classroom commented” This is a DEIS Class 1 school where English is a second language. These iPads will help all the teachers involved in the education of these wonderful children in areas surrounding their educational and communication needs. We also run an after-school club for children and these iPads will allow us to download special educational apps to help with the learning and communication needs of the children.

We would sincerely like to thank all at Variety Ireland and especially the people at The Dearcán Foundation and The Community Foundation for including this school as part of the Heart of Learning Programme. This opens new opportunities to children and teachers where language and learning barriers exist.

To date, Variety – the Children’s Charity of Ireland’s “Heart of Learning Programme” has delivered over 5000 iPads to SNA’s (Special Needs Assistants) to schools across Ireland.