The students in my class face significant challenges every moment of every day. Most of my students have severe physical impairments, as well as cognitive disabilities, seriously limiting their ability to participate in a traditional curriculum. In our class, the term "academics" expands to include daily living goals, pain management strategies, and emotional coping mechanisms.
With every student having such a unique mind, finding a curriculum that fits the need of every student is my biggest challenge as an educator.
My students are special for reasons beyond their impairments. I have never met a group of children with bigger hearts or more resilience than the students in this class. My students allow me to celebrate each new day and motivate me to be a better teacher.
My Project
Most people are able to engage with the world using their five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. For many of my students, severe cognitive, motor, and physical disabilities prevent them from experiencing the world by impairing multiple senses.
These students are unable to access other materials due to lack of physical mobility, vision impairment, and severe cognitive impairment.
Having sensory toys and therapeutic materials would vastly improve their ability to access their surrounding. The materials I am requesting include weighted vests to calm my students who are anxious, tactile sensory materials to help my students differentiate between different tactile sensations, and cause/effect sight and sound tubes to help my students access their auditory and visual senses.
Unfortunately, specialized toys are very expensive, and coming from a public school they are unattainable due to their prices. The donations to this project will vastly improve the lives of my students. I would love to see my students be able to engage with toys that make them happy.
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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 Ms. Dobson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.