We have a diverse group of students with differing abilities, from many different backgrounds. Some have scholarships, some have special education funding, and some pay tuition. Students are three to five years old. We are a part of the Roaring Fork School District. Our schools serve children from Carbondale to Glenwood Springs, in the mountains of Colorado.
Some of our students receive special education services.
Although it is important for all students to have access to materials that promote the development of social skills, it is especially important for children with disabilities to interact with peers who can serve as partners and models for these skills. As an itinerant early childhood special educator, it is my job to go into several classrooms to support the individualized education programs of children with identified disabilities.
My Project
Many students with special needs also have unique sensory needs. They often have difficulty with the sights, sounds, and textures of everyday life. In the classroom, this can mean that the very normal noise of the busy-ness of other students working and playing can cause these students distress. For these and other students, life can be stressful or even traumatic, and the need for a space to calm down and be alone, and to have materials to help do that are essential to their well-being.
Teachers can provide students with what is called a "sensory diet", in which they offer materials and experiences that either give them the sensory input their bodies crave, or opportunities to escape the ones that are distressing to them.
This might include fun, textured balls, putty and dough of all types, noise-cancelling headphones, weighted items to help students maintain focus, and a quiet place for one child to be by herself get away from it all (a cozy corner). I have selected a variety of materials to appeal to the many awesome students we serve!
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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 Teacher Clark-Kimmel and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
