This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My Students: The NYC Autism Charter, located in East Harlem, serves students on the autism spectrum between the ages of 5 and 19. The students range from moderately to severely impaired, and come from all across New York City.
My particular students are between the ages of 8 and 11.
They are on the more profoundly affected end of the autism spectrum. They have a great deal of difficulty understanding and using language, and require lots of learning opportunities to acquire skills. A lot of the day we focus on teaching life and self care skills because we want them to be able to be as safe, independent, and healthy as possible.
Deficits in gross motor skills are common in students with special needs. This can be a huge challenge for them and is something that we are constantly working on. Children with autism tend to be more sedentary than typically developing peers, which can lead to health issues as they grow to adulthood. Regular gym activities such as jumping jacks, running in place, and other typical gym class activities can be challenging. Using stationary exercise equipment (such as treadmills, and StairMasters) is a better way for students like mine to get the exercise they desperately need.
My Project
We have a few different pieces of equipment that help our students become more physically active, but in order to give students the amount of physical activity they really require, we need more. A StairMaster Stepmill would help students burn more calories, get exercise, work on endurance, and improve their gross motor skills. Please help my school and my students increase their physical activity and get in shape!
It is important for all children to get physical activity in their day, especially children with special needs.
Children with special needs do not receive as much physical activity as their typically developing peers because it tends to be much more challenging for them. With this StairMaster Stepmill, our students will get the exercise they need and improve their health and fitness habits as they grow!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Valliant and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.