Preschool Special Needs Class Wants to Rock... and Spin!
Help me give my students equipment such as the Sit and Spin Classic Saucer to our classroom to help activate their vestibular system with purposeful activities!
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
The students in my classroom are 3-5-year-olds who have all been diagnosed with some sort of significant developmental delay. They come to us for the early intervention that is so vital for every child with special needs. Each student has his or her own set of individualized goals that we work on daily.
Difficulty with sensory processing can affect progress towards these goals, including social participation, emotional growth, motor development, and cognitive skills.
Many of our students' IEPs include sensory integration goals. Often, our students also have behavioral challenges that are actually connected to sensory integration or processing disorders. We are passionate about helping all our young students close the gap between their current abilities and those of their typically developing peers by identifying and targeting areas of dysfunction and taking the necessary steps to support growth.
My Project
Beyond the traditional five senses, the vestibular sense is considered a "sixth sense" that is vital for children to develop. This sense is related to balance, coordinating both sides of the body, and is the body's GPS, helping it to know where it is in space. The rhythm of bouncing, spinning, and rocking helps to develop the vestibular system.
Many people haven't heard of the vestibular system, yet it is a critical system because it affects development in other areas.
We are finding that many of the children that come to us have difficulty processing vestibular input, and this dysfunction is holding them back in other areas. We would love to add equipment to our classroom that will help activate their vestibular system with purposeful activities!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Niederer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
