The Nederland Independent School District received numerous grants totaling between $150,000-$200,000, according to a NISD parent, allowing the district to better serve the children in the special education program.

Krystle Riley has a child with special needs in the sixth grade. The mother of three said she is very happy the district was able to obtain more resources to help those in the program.

“We’re pretty excited to actually have stuff that they’ve never had the budget for,” Riley said. “I feel like it’s easy for parents to point out the negative stuff, I just want people to know that we appreciate this. This is a big deal. This is exciting.”

Riley said for children with special needs, behaviorial issues stem from sensory overload.

“Certain things can trigger a child to act out, whether it’s something they see, hear or smell,” she said. “There are different devices that can be as simple as a pencil grip or something like a special soft chairs and desks for kids who get frustrated and throw desks.”

These devices address the behavior issues, making it easier on the teachers and children to create a productive environment.

“They can’t learn if the child is upset over something,” Riley said. “The iPads for communication is a big deal. They were using broken iPads or just didn’t have them. For children who are nonverbal, they need a way to communicate. The teachers were using personal devices to fill that need.”

Riley said that some children, like her own, have oral fixations that can get costly.

“They get expensive when they are chewing through one or two in a week,” she said. “It’s definitely been nice to start the year with stuff and not have to feel like we are trying to push all year to get it. The teachers are already equipped. Now, it’s as easy as them going into a storage closet.”

Riley said NISD has been good in the past, but it’s nice to know that they are ahead of the curve.

Director of Student Services Deidre Powell deferred comment on the grants to Superintendant Robin Perez. She did not respond to numerous requests for comment.