Boardmaker Online

The item of interest I want to share is a multi-level approach website that is mainly utilized for the special education classroom, however, offers benefits to all educators and service providers. The website is https://goboardmaker.com/. Boardmaker online is an online resource that allows you to create, search and support interventions in place through visuals. Beyond the creation of visuals, boardmaker online also serves as a gateway to other resources. The boardmaker online website provides links to additional hands on games, manipulatives and actives that are evidenced-based practices, particularly relating to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Boardmaker also allows you to address behavior, and mental health services in a multi-level approach from of the school social work practice mode by creating or finding documents from the website that monitor progress and evaluate service effectiveness. Boardmaker can be an assistant to collecting data and tracking student progress towards IEP goals and educational standards.

Individuals with disabilities learn and manage their world better when visual strategies are used to support their, understanding, expression, and positive behavior.  Visual strategies encourage communication, emotional regulation, learning, and independence for our students. The visuals from Boardmaker also help with organization and structure for students who either struggle with organizational skills or require organization.

I have utilized Boardmaker to create data tracking documents, behavior charts, emotion cards to help students communicate, visual task cards to keep students on track, graphic organizers, visual schedules for school and home to ensure services are being implemented in all settings, and social stories to encourage positive behavior.

Boardmaker is not free however since this resource can be used by ELL teachers and general education teachers I would highly recommend advocating for access. This resource has been used by ELL and Gen. Ed. teachers by creating word walls that are visuals cards with sight or vocabulary words to help the students create sentences.

Prices:

Personal: 1 month/$9.99, 1 year/$99, 2 years/$190, 3 years/$270

Professional: 1 Month/$19.99, 1 Year/$199, 2 Years/$360, 3 Years/$540

District: Call for pricing (800) 588-4548



Free resource that offers premade visuals: http://www.victoriesnautism.com/communication--behavioral-cues.html

Joshin App

Joshin is a first of a kind disability care app that is at your fingertips. One of the components of the school social work model focuses on maximizing school-based and community-based resources. The Joshin app is a great resource for parents who are looking for caregivers who have credentials and experience in working with children with special needs. This on-demand care app was created by twin sisters who took care of their brother with special needs, named Josh. In 2010, they started Josh’s place that provides holistic care and homes for adults with disabilities. Throughout the years, they’ve seen a lack of childcare services available for children with special needs. So they created Joshin, which is an app that connects families with children with special needs to professionals who have experience in special needs. This includes special education teachers, social workers, nurses and therapists. It was reported that “the majority of Joshin users use it for respite or before and after-school care and daily living skills development” (Chicago Parent Staff, 2019). 

The Joshin app is easy to use as the user needs to download the app, build an account with their care plan and hourly rate, and then book a care date with their desire caregiver. The caregiver will then be notified of the request and accept or decline the offer based on the care plan and hourly rate. I believe that this app would appeal to the families in my school district who come from upper middle-class backgrounds. Since I’ve been interning at my school, multiple parents have reached out requesting for referrals to other types of extra services within our community. Families can set their hourly rate that they would like to offer the caregiver, which makes this service available to a broader socio-economic population. Joshin also provides an opportunity for school social workers to seek side jobs after school or during summer breaks. This is a great way for social workers to help the special needs community while gaining personal experience. The Joshin app is a great innovation example and tool that social workers could also help create to enhance our communities and clients.

Chicago Parent Staff. (2019). On-demand care app launches for special needs families. Retrieved from https://www.chicagoparent.com/learn/special-needs/on-demand-care-app-launches-for-special-needs-families/?fbclid=IwAR1XImQfETgt62q-AXBOCOWw3NRAK940_0tvK10kH2uXd3N1Qoxm1BZSJtc