Announcing
a new partnership with NextStep - transforming e-waste for the
next generation.
With
their help, we can continue our computer exchange program.
Details below.
Thanks
to all the folks who've donated over the years, and to
Alpha Omega Computers, who has done most of the upgrading.
Art
by people with Autism:
Notecards and More...
Help
Support Artists
With Autism
Kind Tree no longer accepts
used computers and components for redistribution to people with
autism. All donations must go to NextStep
Recycling. Their phone number is below.
SUSPENDED!
Due to staffing shortages at NextStep, requests for computers
are on hold.
Please check back later as we hope to have this resolved soon.
Do You Need a Used/Refurbished Computer?
Do You Have Autism in your Family?
Kind Tree will receive requests for systems from
anyone with autism, including families. Call us for more information
at 541-517-4782, or e-mail computers@kindtree.org.
A $15 fee is required for folks receiving a system.
If required, you will be responsible for shipping costs.
Many thanks to
Alpha Omega Computers, Cynthia La Crone BES Information Services
Supervisor Portland, OR DEQ office, The City of Eugene, and
Lane County.. and YOU!
To
date, December 2006, we have placed over 40 systems. Thanks!!
Here are some of the kids
KindTree has found computers for.
We wish them luck!!
Dear KindTree
Thank you so much for the computer for Christian! He
loves it! Every day he asked, "When autism computer
come?"
Christian couldn't talk until he was 4 years old, and
that was with the help of meds. His first sentence was
"I love you, Mom." He was echolalic and I
could tell what he wanted by the tone in his voice or
what he was pointing at.
Christian may heave some disabilities but he is such
a great blessing to all the people he comes into contact
with. He is kind, caring, generous, and will do anything
for you. He likes to help.
So with this computer I think he will help himself
this time - the help he needs so he can be a better
help to others and he can feel better about himself.
(It does bother him that he can't speak well.)
We all love Christian very much and we are glad someone
else cares about him, too!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Stephanie and Christian Parks
Thanks you for my computer. I
play things and do homework on it. I am now doing better
at school and am an honor student for 2 semesters. Thanks
you, KindTree
Charles Dalby
Dear KindTree,
Thank you for the wonderful gift of a computer.
We appreciate it so very much.
This is Joshua.
Quite a little man for 8 years old. Joshua will be in the 3rd
grade the beginning of the school year. He is a strait A student
without effort and he reads at a 4 - 5th grade level! He is
hindered only by the autism which prevents Joshua understanding
what he has heard and sometimes he does not know how to properly
express himself. But we are working hard to be in control of
the autism and not the other way around.
Thank you again for this generous gift.
Sincerely, Treasa and Joshua Stewart
Hi...My name is Miguel. Miguel Reyes. I am 11 years old. I live
with my younger brother, Gilberto,
my parents, Gilberto and Yolanda, and my extended family. We
speak Spanish and English. My family loves and supports me and
I enjoy being with my mother the best. I am energetic and vocal
although some people think I am too loud at times. When I relax,
I like to sit with my blanket and rock back and forth or I like
to wear this vest that has heavy things in it. It helps me feel
calm. At home, I play with my new toys...I think they call them
sensory toys. I think toys that make noise and have sparkling
lights are cool. I just got a new swing, too. I like to play
with my family and friends at school sometimes, too.
I do have a hard time communicating my wants and needs to people
around me. I wish someone spoke my language. Well...so far I
can get people to listen to me by using my loud voice, hitting
my eyes, or biting myself. I try not to hit my eyes anymore
because I just had cataract surgery and I try not to bite myself
too hard because it hurts. Slowly, I am finding out that other
people don’t always understand this form of communication,
so I am exploring other ways to talk to people. Now, I have
some buttons at home that speak when I push them. Sometimes
I can even start an electric item if it is hooked up right.
I have even used a computer a few times at school and found
it very fun and interesting. I need to learn a lot more about
it, though. On the screen, I see lots of pictures and there’s
always some noises coming out of the speakers. Lots of people
my age seem to enjoy it. Maybe this can be a new way for me
to communicate with others...
OH....by the way, I forgot to tell you that I have autism and
mental retardation. I’m not exactly sure what these things
mean, but I’ve been stuck with them ever since I can remember.
I think it means I am special! I like that! I get lots of attention
at home and at school.
I understand that Kind Tree is donating a computer to us with
upgrades, too. Wow! I’m so excited about getting my own
computer to learn on. My family and school will be able to help
me use it and hopefully it becomes a language that we can all
understand. Thank you to those who donated the computers and
thank you to Kind Tree for reaching out to kids like me. I really
do feel special. I sincerely thank you again for your help and
interest in my life.
Miguel, Gilberto, Yolanda, and May Nelson, support consultant
connected through...
Self-Determination
Resources, Inc.
P.O. Box 82746 Portland, OR 97282
(503) 232-2289
Here is a letter from Jared's Mom.
They received a free computer from Kind Tree in June, 2001:
To
Whom It May Concern,
This is our son’s story.
Jared was born on November 16, 1995. He developed colic at about
6 weeks of age and it lasted
until about 4 months of age. Other than that he was a very healthy
child .He met all his milestones on time if not early. He sat
at 5 ½ months, said mama, dada at 6 months,crawled
at 7 months, and walked at 9 ½ months. At about 18 months
Jared quit talking and would throw terrible tantrums. He did
not play with toys other than cars, he loved to paint, play
playdough, spin in circles, walk on his tip toes, jump and run.
He did not play with other children. At first I was told by
his doctor, “He is a boy and boys develop later than girls.”
Just before his second birthday I had his sister. His sister
became his doctor’s new excuse of why he was acting the
way he was. I still kept telling his doctor there is something
else going on. I had Crone’s disease and was very sick
when Jared was 2 ½ and ended up having my entire colon
removed. That became his doctor’s next excuse. He said,
“I was sick and was not following through with discipline
and that was his problem.” I then took him to another
doctor that also said nothing was wrong with him, but did give
me the number of our First Step Program in Indiana. I called
them and we took him to hearing and speech evaluations. The
speech therapist that evaluated him said there was more going
on than speech delay and referred him to RISE, the special education
services in our county. He was diagnosed with autism on October23,
1998 about two weeks from his third birthday.
He started in the school’s special ed preschool on November
16,1998, his third birthday. He attended school 5 days a week
for 2 ½ hours a day and received speech twice a week
for 20 minutes each session. After the first year of preschool
he was starting to talk a lot more. During his second year of
preschool he started having severe anxiety problems and had
to be started on Zoloft to control the anxiety. He continued
to improve his speech with now only having articulation problems.
During his third year of preschool we requested the school do
another occupational therapy evaluation. It took us a while
for the school to get it done, but when they did it came back
that he had a major visual perception problem that would explain
why he could not write or recognize letters of the alphabet.
They would only give him 30 minutes a month for that.
We are looking forward to sending him to kindergarten next year.
He will be attending a regular kindergarten class with a full
time assistant, will be pulled out 30 minutes a day for one-on-one
with the LD teacher, and speech two times a week.
We are in the process of having Jared tested for leaky gut.
He has been having loose stools for a few months. His new doctor
feels it is irritable bowel syndrome but is willing to perform
the testing for leaky gut. We just ordered to have the test
this past Monday and are waiting for contact from the lab that
performs it.
His major problems at this time are social skills. He has a
very hard time playing with other children, he still has articulation
problems, he has some problems with behavior, he pinches his
younger sister a lot, and at this time our biggest concern is
his visual perception problem. We are trying to figure out how
to get him vision therapy at this time. There is an excellent
vision therapist in our area but she is very expensive. We plan
on getting him started with her in the next month or two because
we feel without this therapy he may not be able to be succeed
in school, let alone life.
I want to thank you for the computer.
Lori Boehm, Indiana
Here are some other beneficiary's
of Kind Tree's Computer Exchange Program:
Two children in the same family:
Brother, 13:
Diagnosed as autistic in early childhood, he is nonverbal
and is being taught a communication system in school by choosing
pictures to express needs/wants. He enjoys watching old black
and white documentaries about railroads and riding in the
car. Noisy/active/confusing environments upset him.
Sister, 10:
Diagnosed in early childhood also, but has verbal capability.
She is moving and talking almost constantly, jumping up and
down, running and climbing. Occasianally she will play a video
game or dig in the dirt.
It is my hope a computer in their home will be used to develop
a communication system for brother as well as learning programs
for both.
"I
have many years experince working with developmentally disabled
citizens of all ages, including people with autism. Currently
I do foster care for developmentally disabled children. The
computer you have provided me will impact many children over
the next few years. Thank you!"
Quite a little man for 8 years old. Joshua will be in the 3rd
grade the beginning of the school year. He is a strait A student
without effort and he reads at a 4 - 5th grade level! He is
hindered only by the autism which prevents Joshua understanding
what he has heard and sometimes he does not know how to properly
express himself. But we are working hard to be in control of
the autism and not the other way around.
Gilberto,
my parents, Gilberto and Yolanda, and my extended family. We
speak Spanish and English. My family loves and supports me and
I enjoy being with my mother the best. I am energetic and vocal
although some people think I am too loud at times. When I relax,
I like to sit with my blanket and rock back and forth or I like
to wear this vest that has heavy things in it. It helps me feel
calm. At home, I play with my new toys...I think they call them
sensory toys. I think toys that make noise and have sparkling
lights are cool. I just got a new swing, too. I like to play
with my family and friends at school sometimes, too. 
crawled
at 7 months, and walked at 9 ½ months. At about 18 months
Jared quit talking and would throw terrible tantrums. He did
not play with toys other than cars, he loved to paint, play
playdough, spin in circles, walk on his tip toes, jump and run.
He did not play with other children. At first I was told by
his doctor, “He is a boy and boys develop later than girls.”