Technology keeps little Dani connected to her classmates

Three-year-old Dani loves Dora the Explorer and Play-Doh, books and baby dolls, dress-up time and a makeshift tent. Dani also loves school.

“She’s a kid; she wants to be around other kids,” her mother, Beth Pruitt, says.

But Dani has not been to school since before Thanksgiving -- for her own good.

Her genetic neurological condition, spinal muscular atrophy, means she’s fragile. She cannot swallow or cough, for instance, and there are too many bugs floating around school during the winter months.

Dani still keeps in touch with her friends at Rosa Parks Elementary, though, thanks to technology and a lot of support at school and at home. Through a link of Web cameras and computers, she can stay involved in her classroom.

Early Start teacher Amy Stults sets up a laptop on a little red, square stool so Dani can join the 10 other children for songs and stories at “circle time.”

“It’s just been really neat to watch,” Stults said.

The children also can hear Dani much better these days since she got a headset microphone at home.

“They ask her all kinds of questions; they talk back and forth,” Stults said. “When she’s not here, she’s missed.”

Dani’s parents pulled her out of school for the high-risk months; they hope she can return in March, when the weather warms up.

Meanwhile, flexibility on both ends is crucial. Dani and her mom log on for circle time roughly 11:30 a.m. to noon only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for instance, because Dani is too busy with therapy on the other days.

“She definitely knows it’s her friends and that it’s live and interactive,” Pruitt said of Dani’s reaction to the webcam link.

When the children break into small groups or pairs, a teacher wheels the laptop to the activity area of Dani’s choice. For instance, if she picks “dramatic play,” her mother pulls out the dress-up clothes and Dani puts on costumes at home as they watch the other kids dress up in class.

While linking with schoolmates sometimes is difficult to fit into Dani’s regimented life, it’s worth the effort. Pruitt said Dani’s father, Frank, a civil engineer, also is excited that Dani is learning about the computer, which will be “her strongest friend.”

“It will open up a world to her that nothing else can,” said Pruitt, who sets a laptop on a yellow easel in the family’s living room for the virtual sessions.

Dani, who cannot sit up, lies on a pad atop the nearby coffee table and watches the screen as her mother moves her frail arms and legs to the music. When a teacher asks what Dani wants to sing, the tiny blonde laughs and chooses “Jingle Bells” as she and her mom join in with the other students.

“She’s very social, very aware,” Pruitt said.

Children with Dani’s condition are missing a vital protein needed for their muscles to receive nerve transmissions. And if a muscle is not activated, it will atrophy and die. Dani, who will turn 4 in March, has light to no muscle tone. She is fed through tubes and sleeps with the help of a nasal ventilator, but cognitively there’s nothing wrong, according to her mother.

Stults sends home lessons electronically so Dani can follow along with her classmates, who these days are learning about winter animals. The goal is to keep her from losing ground.

“Everybody knows that you include all children, but to see it in action is different,” Stults said of the webcam link. “And it’s a fairly easy thing to do… It’s doable for any child that may be at home.”

Jeff Jones, a technical resource teacher for the school district, describes the setup as an instant-message-like service of video conferencing. It’s just like a picture phone; it’s real time, with no delay.

“The beauty of this is that with a laptop in the classroom… they can wheel this thing anywhere,” said Jones, who noted that with the available technology, the real questions are:
Is the teacher comfortable?

Are the parents able to support the effort?

“This has been a wonderful experience,” Jones said of helping keep Dani connected to her school. “Everybody was working for a common goal, and it came together.”

The effort began back in September with talk of video conferencing for Dani. “It was a team approach that got started because of all the people who cared about her,” said Becky Farmer, a special education resource specialist, who cited the Early Start teachers and paraeducators, school principal, therapists and Dani’s family among the driving force.

Jones took their ideas and came up with several options; by Thanksgiving, the Pruitt family was hooked up.

“This was perhaps the best example of collaboration I have seen within and around the district between the family, the school and the support services,” Farmer said. “It was phenomenal.”

As for expanding on the concept for other homebound students, “we’ve got the technology; it’s there,” Farmer said. “It’s just us learning how to use it.”

Pruitt had nothing but praise for Rosa Parks Elementary.

“It very much reflects the attitude of the entire school and also the teachers. They bent over backwards to find ways to keep in touch and keep (Dani) in school.

“They looked for ways to help us before we asked.”

Principal Leslie Thomas said the success of Dani’s case has been a positive for the entire school.

“Everybody has rallied around and gotten excited about this one little girl,” she said. “… The ripple effect will impact lots of kids because of the lessons being learned by teachers and others involved with Dani.”

View a slideshow containing pictures of Dani video conferencing with her classmates.

SOURCE: FCPS press release