We have sponsored a series of www.WeatherTalk.com charity events over the past few months.
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SENSORY SUPPORTS ARE SENSIBLE!
We were one of three donors for this project.
Mrs. Gibson wanted to give her students sensory supports like the weighted vest and lap blanket that will help them function more effectively in the classroom
Mrs. Gibson’s Students
She teaches 3-5-year-old special needs children housed in a public school in their community.
They are included in a pre-k center with typical functioning children. Her kiddos have a variety of special needs including autism, physical limitations, speech and language delays, sensory differences, deafness, and cognitive delays. The main emphasis in our classroom is language and social skills.
Almost daily we are able to celebrate accomplishments that may seem small to most but are HUGE for our little ones with exceptionalities.
Just today our little guy with down syndrome said his first two-word sentence! "Ball in." It was a big deal! Even pointing to a picture to make a choice for a snack is a giant step for some.
Teaching these exceptional children have been the highlight of her teaching career. They are so excited to learn new things and be involved in new experiences.
Mrs. Gibson’s Project
Children with sensory differences have difficulties with processing information from the five senses: vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste, as well as from the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception).
Learning to deal with sensory issues is very frustrating for the very young children in my class
Items such as the weighted vest and weighted blanket can help a child feel "grounded" and enable them to calm themselves when upset.
Other items such as the chewy toys provide sensory output for children who "mouth" items. Many children with autism are also very sensitive to noises, music, etc. The sound reducing earphones will be so beneficial to them in and out of the classroom.
