Educating the Whole Child
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The Approach
Morning Greeting—gather as a whole class each morning to share a positive event,
a feeling and news deepening the sense of community.
Positive Teacher Language & Feedback- looking for and pointing out the good.
Self Awareness- teaching children to notice and internalize positive behaviors/emotions.
Collaborative Problem Solving- class meetings, role plays and other methods to help children solve problems.
Logical Consequences— whenever possible to save dignity and promote learning.
Positive Incentives & Humor- laughter and fun creates a fun learning environment.
Morning Greeting—gather as a whole class each morning to share a positive event,
a feeling and news deepening the sense of community.
Positive Teacher Language & Feedback- looking for and pointing out the good.
Self Awareness- teaching children to notice and internalize positive behaviors/emotions.
Collaborative Problem Solving- class meetings, role plays and other methods to help children solve problems.
Logical Consequences— whenever possible to save dignity and promote learning.
Positive Incentives & Humor- laughter and fun creates a fun learning environment.
The Three Support Classes
Pirate ClubPirate Club is just one of the three integrated classes taught twice a week. The goal of this Social Thinking class is to assist these children develop and practice tools to help them problem solve and understand social situations across the infinite number and ever shifting landscape of social emotional circumstances. This is a lifelong goal and one we believe must be started as early as possible. The social thinking vocabulary, concepts and social emotional behavioral aspects are all addressed. These are not memorized skill sets as you’d see in math, reading for example but rather methods to become more self aware and aware of others. This involves awareness of thoughts, feelings and reactions. We focus on problem solving and developing strategies in direct lessons and facilitated games and fun. This is but one piece to the complex cognitive and emotional landscape our children will face through out their lives. This is a Social Emotional Learning class that needs the other two components to help our children grow to be happy adults.
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Mindful LessonsWhile we directly teach Social Thinking ® and S.E.L. skills during Pirate Club , the children often can't utilize them well
due to anxiety, poor impulse control, sensory overload, the need for sameness etc. They need additional time to practice HOW to attend, notice their body sensations & feelings, and develop personal self regulatory & calming strategies. This is where the mindful lessons come in to help. Mindfulness is a particular way of paying attention. It is the mental effort of purposefully bringing awareness to one’s experience without judgement of right or wrong. Mindfulness can be applied to sensory experience, thoughts, and emotions by using sustained attention and noticing our experience without reacting. We help the children develop this space or gap through specific lessons and practice which assists the children in their ability to pause before reacting. The gap allows students to respond ( pause) with more thought, self awareness and regulation. The daily practice can improve attention, emotional & body regulation & awareness, increase empathy, and conflict resolution. The Emwaves help in this area a great deal by providing visual support , feedback and motivation. |
Body AwarenessOur OT also works with the children weekly to help them develop body awareness skills which compliments the mental and heart work of the Mindfulness Lessons & Emwaves.
Children with autism have very different sensory experiences from other people, and these responses often cause their bodies to get stuck in fight, flight, or freeze modes that divert blood from the digestive organs to the skeletal muscles. This activity results in disrupted digestion, increased heart rate, and shallower breathing—all of which readily provoke anxiety. These students also struggle with motor planning, personal space, attention & stamina. So we use a series of cards, other visuals or model what we want the children to do. The benefits are clear for this population. |