Jamie’s Dream Team seeks help in communicating with nonverbal kids

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

Jamie’s Dream Team is looking for a few more volunteer team members.

The McKeesport-based nonprofit group is seeking one or more occupational therapy specialists with experience working with nonverbal children. The organization’s founder, Jamie Ward, said the group is getting more applications for dreams involving children who are nonverbal.

“I want to make it the best experience for that child and make it the experience they want,” Ward said. “I want to get some OTs together to go out and meet the families and to have training sessions for our volunteers to know how to communicate and look for signals like eye contact.”

Ward said the volunteer therapist would be needed on a case-by-case basis, meeting with families by Zoom at present because of COVID-19, but in person once those family interviews resume.

Ward said it’s important to Jamie’s Dream Team that the dreams meet the expectations of the child, not what someone else thinks the child would like, so learning how to communicate with nonverbal children is important to the team. 

“The OT would get us through the meet and greet and find out what they want,” Ward said.

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