Taking away students iPad/AAC
I was under the impression that a student’s AAC device/ipad is considered ‘their voice’ and should not be taken away from them or used as an incentive for break time/ choice activity.
At my school, there is one student who “stims” on the iPad a lot, repeating the alphabet, smashing buttons to repeat words, etc. Her assigned paras take her iPad away when she does this. They also take away her iPad for misbehaving.
To me, this seems like taping a verbal student’s mouth shut? we would never tape a student’s mouth, tell them to not make any noise, or disallow them from verbally speaking for misbehaviour.
Am I right? It seems so wild to me that they do this. We are short staffed most days so occasionally I have worked with this student and I don’t feel comfortable taking away their device.
The school year is almost over, I know, but just needed to get this off my chest. (I have been diagnosed CPTSD and one of my triggers that sets me off into a burning fireball off ptsd rage is feeling like I’m being shut up or not being listened to. And I just get the same kind of triggered feeling with taking away a students communication tool)