Cedar is a class that our more ambulant children, all of which currently walk independently, access. Because of their physical abilities, children in Cedar class access their physiotherapy through floor therapies and stretches as opposed to therapies such as Hippotherapy, Rebound or Hydrotherapy, however these can be provided on a case-by-case basis depending on the needs of the child as per Physiotherapist instruction. Instead, we work on independence while using the stairs, self-changing skills, body awareness and manoeuvrability through circuits, FunFit, movement songs and games within the garden.

 

The enclosed garden provides the children with a safe space in which they can play and move, whilst also having some independence within their play by being able to explore all of the toys and equipment. We have added some get set go blocks to the garden to provide the children with safe items that they can climb on, walk across, crawl through and slide down. These provide the children with opportunities to build their strength, tone and mobility of their body to build their independence and safety. Peer social interaction is a big part of Cedar class, with lots of games played with our friends in the garden

 

Many of the children within Cedar class are diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum, and therefore need routine, predictability and structure within their environment. Visual timetables, symbols, timers, now and next cards and other visual cues are used to create this predictability and routine for the children, helping with the transition between different sessions and activities. On top of this, we have no introduced aspects of the TEACCH approach within Literacy and Maths to help the children to engage with more structured work such as number recognition and colourful semantics. This approach provides the visual cues, alongside a group of smaller pieces of work within a work pack which the children are able to put into a finished box once they complete the work to give a sense of accomplishment.

 

Sensory integration is also used within the classroom to help ready the bodies of the children for learning throughout the day. 3-step sensory circuits are provided before each learning session so that the children are able to move their bodies while preparing their minds for receiving information. We also work on identifying when our bodies need different sensory experiences and how to regulate ourselves when we feel this way. The new sensory calm room provides a quiet, safe space for children to be able to regulate themselves or be supported to regulate through the use of calm music, sensory lights, weighted blankets, deep pressure and vibration. Our class Occupational Therapist available to support the children and identify areas of need within their sensory system.