Megan Stewart and Jennifer Zeveney

Stewart’s and Zeveney’s innovative teaching idea, “Giving Our Students a Voice,” focuses on alleviating communication for individuals diagnosed with Autism, as it can often be difficult for them to communicate effectively and efficiently with others. Throughout this Pragmatic Organizational Dynamic Display (PODD) project, language and vocabulary will be continuously modeled for students by aided language stimulation and PODD communication books. With the Voya grant, Stewart and Zeveney will be able to have books available throughout the classroom and school, allowing students to initiate and participate in broader communication with their peers and adults. Students will be encouraged to use PODD books on higher tech devices to increase their ability to become autonomous and competent communicators in a variety of environments.