My students need weighted blankets and sensory fidget tools (calming stress balls and visual tools) to help themselves self regulate and calm down into a "ready to learn" alertness level.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. LeRay's classroom raised $399
This project is fully funded
My Students
Our small neighborhood school is home to 340 students ages 3-11. We have a diverse population of student-families, many of which immigrated here from Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010 which made much of Haiti uninhabitable. Some of our older students who have since graduated shared their memories of the event. We have many students from Caribbean islands including Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados. Our students love to dance!
Our children come from many different kinds of homes: some have traditional two-parent households, but many have a single parent, grandparents, uncles, aunts, or family friends who are their guardians.
Boston has a shortage of affordable housing, so many of our families have unstable housing which is another obstacle to our kids' healthy development. For many of our kids, school is their only structured environment.
Our student population includes a wide variety learners, many that receive special education services to support their academic progress. We have five classrooms that are specifically for students with Autism - grade ranges from preschool through 5th grade.
My Project
My students are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Children with Autism often have difficulty interpreting sensory information which then changes how they react in certain situations. Sensory information includes what we feel, hear, see, smell, and our body's movement patterns. Difficulty with interpreting sensory input impacts their ability to regulate their alertness level. It is important for individuals with autism to have a break area within their classroom where they can use sensory tools and strategies to block out certain sensory inputs and regain a sense of balance within themselves. Once they've achieved a lesser level of alertness (calmed down into a more relaxed state), they will be more readily available for social interaction and learning opportunities.
Weighted blankets provides deep pressure sensory input which have a calming effect on individuals.
Other sensory tools that include resistive fidget tools and calming visual input. I have included these in this project to add to the "break box" items that will go in the area in which the weighted blankets will be used. Each of our classrooms has an area designated for students to relax when needed in order for them to return to the work areas ready to learn!
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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