I am an Occupational Therapist in the Department of Education.
I work in District 75. District 75 serves more than 23,000 children ages 3 to 21 who are on the autism spectrum, have significant cognitive delays, are significantly emotionally challenged, have a sensory impairment, or have multiple disabilities. I serve students on a daily basis to improve fine motor skills, visual-motor skills, handwriting, sensory integration, and self-regulation. Most of my students are nonverbal, and some use communication devices to communicate their needs and desires with us. On a daily basis, my students work hard to learn basic life skills, and ways to participate in school activities with their peers. They are each special in their own way, and together they create the passion behind my choice to become an occupational therapist.
My Project
The Cricut machine gives access to endless amounts of projects and innovative ways to provide an Occupational Therapy Session. When in school, OT demands a creative mind to be able to adapt and expand on a child's abilities and interests in order to find ways to meet their functional goals. Through teletherapy (video sessions for OT while each in their own home), these demands are increased due to a lack of materials in a therapist's or child's home. As long as teletherapy continues, the Cricut will allow me to provide families with materials that may otherwise be unattainable at the moment such as puzzles, letter and number building materials, lacing cards, visuals, sensory experiences and fun, exciting new approaches to therapy sessions. If we return to school this school year, the Cricut will continue to provide the same innovative creations for in-person treatment sessions!
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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. Gambino and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.