When facing the challenges of improving America's schools, there is one point that everyone can agree on: the role of technology in the classroom is a key part of this country's educational future. It can be especially helpful in the education of children with autism.   The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation has long recognized this fact and in 2000 the Laurie Flutie Initiative was created for the purpose of donating computers systems to underprivileged families of individuals with autism as well as to schools with autism-specific classrooms.

In 2003, the Flutie Foundation formed a partnership with Compaq/HP. Through this partnership the foundation has been able to increase the number of computers donated. To date the foundation has distributed close to 500 computers to families and schools in New York and New England. Since coming on board as a sponsor of the Initiative, Hewlett Packard has donated over 250 computers to the Foundation. 

As part of the 2011 Laurie Flutie Computer Initiative the Foundation has joined forces with A Deeper View, the makers of a special kind of web-based diagnostic software to help the specific needs of children with autism. 

The amount of data needed to assess just one child with autism is staggering when you take into account environment, stimulants, medication, behaviors, diet etc. A Deeper View is a powerful tool that streamlines the process of data collection while at the same time allowing therapists, doctors, teachers and parents to help the child in a diagnostic "ecosystem". With secure online access professionals and parents can see and update the progress on their child in a real-time fashion without needless paper shuffling and follow-up appointments.

To kick off this new partnership, A Deeper View is providing 40 bundled licenses with support for the forty 2011 recipients of the Laurie Flutie Computer initiative sponsored by HP.

For others that wish to experience the difference that data can make in monitoring the progress educating your child and focusing attention where it is needed, contact ADV and tell them that you heard about ADV from the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and ADV will donate a portion of the License fees to The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation.

To learn more about A Deeper View or to inquire about their software, please visit their website. 

Please note:
Computers are given to families of children with autism who could not otherwise afford to pay for them and to autism-specific classrooms for the sole use of children with autism and their teachers.  In order for a family to apply for a computer, they must do so with the assistance of an outside non-profit organization or school system that can apply for the computer on their behalf. 

Due to the increased cost in shipping, the Laurie Flutie Computer Initiative is limited to individuals and schools in New England, New York and New Jersey.

For more information about the Computer Initiative, please contact Chris Chirco at cchirco@flutiefoundation.org.

Past recipients of computers include:

Asperger's Association of New England
Autism Resource Center - W. Boyslton, Massachusetts
Beverly Massachusetts Public Schools' AIM Program
Billerica Massachusetts Public Schools
Braintree Massachusetts School District
Bridgewater/Raynham Massachusetts School District
Cambridge Massachusetts Public Schools
Community Bridges - Bow, NH
Community Resources for People with Autism
Concord New Hampshire Public Schools
Crossroads Center for Children - Massachusetts
Crossroads Center for Children - New Jersey
East Middlesex ARC - Reading, Massachusetts
Family Autism Center at SNCARC - Westwood, Massachusetts
Farmsteads of New England - Hillsborough, New Hampshire
Garrett Pressley Autism Resource Center - Mattapan, Massachusetts
Gloucester Massachusetts Public Schools
Haverhill Public Schools - Haverhill, MA
Jowonio School - New York
Leominster Massachusetts Public Schools
Lowell Massachusetts Public Schools
Mansfield Massachusetts Public Schools
Mendon Public School's STAR Program - Mendon, Massachusetts
Methuen Massachusetts Public Schools
Milford Massachusetts Public Schools
Nashoba Learning Group - Massachusetts
North Shore ARC - Danvers, Massachusetts
North Shore Education Consortium - Beverly, Massachusetts
Port Resources - S. Portland, Maine
QSAC Day School - New York
RCS Learning Center - Natick, Massachusetts
Sandwich Public Schools - Sandwich, Massachusetts
South Shore Education Collaborative
Springfield Massachusetts Public Schools
Tewksbury Massachusetts Public Schools
West Babylon New York School District

As well as several individual families in New England, New Jersey and New York