Kayle Concepts Introduces The Bluebee Pals Project

NEW YORK - April 15, 2015 - PRLog -- Following our E.E.C. concept of Entertain, Educate and Communicate, Bluebee Pals Project is a program that Kayle Concepts has developed to put Bluebee Pals into the hands of therapists, educators and families of special needs children.

Bluebee Pals has partnered with various therapists, teachers, app developers and organizations to develop an educational program that incorporates Bluebee Pals cutting edge technology, touch pad devices and the best learning apps available. Bluebee Pals has donated hundreds of our huggable plush educational toys to special needs groups and families in order to collect data and feedback on the positive effects of using Bluebee Pals as a learning tool.

The organizations below are participants in The Bluebee Pals' inaugural study:

QSAC
QSAC is a highly respected and dedicated New York City and Long Island based nonprofit with 1700 support agencies. QSAC supports children and adults with autism, together with their families, in achieving greater independence, realizing their future potential, and contributing to their communities in a meaningful way by offering person-centered services.
www.qsac.com

Autism Early Enrichment Services (AEES)
Autism Early Enrichment Services (AEES) is a New York City based Early Intervention program that is rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis and incorporates strategies from various development models to serve the needs of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s).

The AEES program adheres to core principles of the national Early Intervention Program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, based on Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Intervention is provided to the maximum extent possible in natural and inclusive environments and integrated throughout typical everyday experiences, where parents play a primary role in their child’s learning.
www.aees.us.com

MRS.  WAGNERS SPEECH THERAPY CLASS
Helen H. Wagner, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Saks Elementary School
Anniston, Alabama

"Bluebee Pals are great to use during articulation therapy!  We have used Voice Recorder Free and several specialized articulation apps, such as Communication Station Pro, to practice sound production skills!  With these apps,  students  record themselves producing targeted sounds in words, phrases or sentences.  During playback, the Bluebee Pals "say" the words in the child's voice, with the child receiving auditory feedback on his/her own productions!  The students are much more motivated to self-monitor their speech productions!  Listening to their own auditory feedback helps my students collect and track their own data.

I have found my students to be much more highly engaged and motivated to practice their communication skills with the addition of Bluebee Pals in my therapy classroom!"

a.c.t. Apps, Consulting and Training
Jackie Bryla
Jackie Bryla founder of a.c.t. – Apps, Consulting and Training is a speech language pathology assistant (SLPA) in California.  Her experience includes working with transitional kindergarten through high school age students as well as students with special needs within the functional skills and autism classrooms.  She is highly experienced in technology and has creatively used apps with dozens of students.
www.actbyjackiebryla.com

Dr. Howard Shane
PhD, CCC-SLP
Autism Language Program
Boston Children’s Hospital
Howard Shane’s research focus is on children with complex communication impairment related to autism and other developmental disorders. Currently he is studying the use of technology and visual supports to improve communication and learning in persons with autism. He is keenly interested in the development of a visual language system to both improve and augment the spoken language system for persons with autism who have difficulty processing spoken language.

Hasbro Children’s Hospital
Hasbro Children's Hospital is deeply committed to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care for children through the latest research. Their clinical research has garnered national and international recognition, including an estimated ten new awards per year for the last five years.
www.hasbrochildrenshospital.org

AblePlay^TM  and The National Lekotek Center
The National Lekotek Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting play for children of all abilities. Lekotek believes play is the way kids learn, develop skills and reach milestones. The Lekotek mission is to make the world of play accessible to all children, especially those who have special needs.

Toys and play empower children to reach their potential and increase inclusion within their families and communities. Lekotek has a network of 17 affiliates across the United States dedicated to working with children by utilizing toys and play to grow, learn and thrive.

AblePlay^TM is a toy rating system and website that provides comprehensive information on toys and play products for children of all abilities. AblePlay was created so parents, friends, family members, educators, therapists and others can make the best decisions when purchasing products for children in their lives, especially children with special needs.
www.ableplay.org  and  www.lekotek.org

Laura Jiencke
CEO of Kayle Concepts and founder of the Bluebee Pals
Laura Jiencke, CEO of Kayle Concepts and the creator of the Bluebee Pals, was inspired by the idea of creating a line of adorable plush animals that would recapture the imagination of children in this digital age and become the kind of inseparable companion that their parents’ and grandparents’ once enjoyed in the “pre-internet” era. With years of experience in the toy industry, Jiencke had seen how the popularity of plush toys had begun to decline in recent years as children embraced online entertainment programs and apps, as well as a variety of video games. She believed that huggable plush toys still had a timeless appeal, if only they could be combined with state-of-the-art technology to offer a wide range of entertainment, education and communication possibilities. With that goal in mind, Jiencke collaborated with international technology, design and manufacturing experts, and the result is “The Bluebee Pals.” Thanks to a Bluetooth connection, each Bluebee Pal can sing any song a child might desire, help them learn to read, and even connect with loved ones anywhere in the world. While there have been other singing and “talking” plush toys in the past, Jiencke was determined to create an educational toy that was truly huggable and cuddly, and infinitely versatile.

Please email us your feedback and any questions to: information@kayleconcepts.com

http://bluebeepals.com/pages/bluebee-pals-project