My students need the memory foam bean bag chairs, stability balls, ball-fit chair, jelly beads, and chewies in order to control and maintain a safer learning environment for my students with Autism and Blindness.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
I proudly teach children who are on the Autism Spectrum. I teach students who are in a self-contained setting, non-verbal, and who have intense behavioral issues. I also teach special students who are included in the general curriculum and require paraprofessional assistance for behaviors. I teach one blind student with Autism who is self-injurous and non-verbal. She requires one to one supervision and a safety zone, so that she does not get injured. This student bangs her head on the floor, the wall and with her fists. She bites herself and others working with her. It is difficult to keep her in her regular school chair. Her parents have searched high and low for an appropriate Vision Impaired program for her, however, due to the aggression most schools turned them down. NOT US!!!
I teach in a Title I school, where the students are predominantly Hispanic.
Many of my student's parents do not speak English. Each student has different needs within the same classroom. For example, I have one class where 11 students are able to copy with assistance, and 4 additional students in the same class who have major behavior issues, and roll around on the floor during instruction.
My Project
The bean bag memory chairs, stability balls, ball-fit chair, chewy tubes and jellie beadz will all provide the input and stimulation necessary to prepare my students to sit quietly and listen or complete independent work. In addition, to keeping my students who are self-injurious in a safety zone. This equipment will directly teach my students new skills in both behavior and communication. In addition, they will help prepare my students for learning in all content areas. For example, while I'm teaching a lesson on vocabulary, one of my non-verbal, behavioral challenged students may be rolling around on the floor having difficulty maintaining themselves in a seat and needing sensory input in order to stay in one place. If the beanbag chairs, ball and ball/chair are in the instructional areas, I can have my paraprofessional work with that student in those areas safely while I continue teaching. The sensory input they will receive from the additional materials will assist with that student for learning. Finally, the student will return to the group or independent work area and be able to sit and focus to learn or demonstrate a specific skill. The additional sensory items, chewys for student who has PICA, and puts all non-edible items in his mouth to eat, should help stop him from putting dangerous items in his mouth. The water beads for my student who is blind, will release stress and anxiety, which will minimize her self-injurous behaviors.
The donations for this project will improve my classroom by reducing the amount of behavioral issues, because I will be able to provide the appropriate stimulation that my students need, but cannot voice, due to their disabilities.With less behavioral issues, we can increase our learning and time on task.
I'm looking forward to seeing my students happier and ready.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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