This project will reach a K-5 Elementary School with 680 students. There are 2 self-contained classrooms for individuals with autism and 2 self-contained behavior focus classrooms within our school. All of our students are amazing innovators, creative thinkers and work endlessly with empathy and compassion to take care of self and others. Each student in our building comes to school excited and ready to learn each and every day.
They engage in many opportunities within their diverse curriculums and strive for a safe environment through the use of our PBIS program.
Each and every staff member works hard to provide these programs as well as innovative ideas to our students at our school.
My Project
All students learn self-regulation on their own and in their own time. As educators, we notice when a child starts losing cognitive functioning during the learning process. We recognize that it can be beneficial to give the student a sensory input break or a brain break. We currently have a self-regulation room where our students also learn how to do this independently or with staff input, but we are looking for a more school-wide movement initiative!! There are studies about which movements offer children the necessary proprioceptive and vestibular input so a child can refocus and attend which ultimately increases cognition and retention of new information.
The creation of a Sensory Path in our hallways will provide our students with an opportunity to practice self-regulation, reduce sensory seeking behaviors, increase learning opportunities as well as initiate peer interaction and effective communication.
Although this is a great opportunity for students with special needs such as autism and/or sensory processing disorders, this path would benefit ALL of the students on a daily basis. By jumping, bending, twisting, hopping and finally breathing, the sensory buildup is able to release. All that built-up energy can be best utilized by their brain!
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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. Cuthbertson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
