Spin, Wiggle, and Sqeeze To Calm Special Needs Preschoolers
The cost of several sensory integration items from Abilitations, Inc. is $1059, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
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.
I am an Early Childhood Special Education teacher at Irving School on Chicago's west side. There are very few self-contained special education classes that serve preschool and kindergarten-aged children in the Chicago area, therefore, my students are bussed from neighborhoods throughout the city. To qualify for services in my classroom, the students are either significantly developmentally delayed or diagnosed with a specific disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, or a genetic disorder. I currently service 14 children with chronological ages from 3-6 and developmental skills from 12 months through 5 years.
My little classroom is a constantly busy place. The children are learning through exploration, experimentation, instruction, and play. Like most children with developmental delays, my students have a wide range of sensitivities. Their sensory systems take in information differently than most people. Sounds, touches, sights, and even smells are often sensed as too much input or too little. This causes distress and frustration for my students. We are always working on activities that will help their systems adapt to interpret the world in calmer and more soothing ways.
I would like to create a "Sensory Center" for my students to utilize and explore. This center would consist of materials that will teach the children new ways of interpreting the world, allowing them to gain new information such as pre-reading, math and social skills. A "steam-roller" will provide the children with calming deep pressure massage that they can control. Spinning discs that the children can ride on will allow them to release energy as well as integrate visual information. An enormous strechy loop will provide the children with a tool to assist them in transitioning between classrooms as a cooperative group. These resources will allow my little ones to grow, learn and change. When the world becomes a predictable and calm place through sensory exploration, children are able to focus their attention on the acquisition of new skills.
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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. M. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.