PERTH NEWS

 

Holiday Fun!

 

Our school holidays are getting busier and busier each time. This time around we have run 3 holiday programs including a cooking class, ten pin bowling and our very first trial of a kindergarten group. Unfortunately, we are one important staff member down while she is off getting married so our usual small social skill groups were put on hold until the Christmas holidays. The social programs are a chance for children to get together and practice skills that are taught in their home programs. Our main emphasis is on social interaction, particularly with the small groups. But with our newer cooking class, this is also an opportunity to practice life skills, comprehension and academic skills along with conversation, delegation of jobs and cooperation. We had a group of 9 year old boys who followed a recipe to make pancakes. They got along famously and have asked to hang out together again next holidays. Last school holidays we had our first cooking class trial with a pair of grade two girls who met for the first time and now identify each other as ‘friends’ and still talk about their cooking experience.

 

 

       Measuring out ingredients                                     Doing the dishes

 

 

                      Setting the table                                   The girls cooking last holidays

 

Ten pin bowling is a regular holiday activity for a group of grade 1 boys. They learn to follow a schedule, they are required to be organised and pay for their own game and snack and they make a phone call to be picked up. We also work on team player skills such as good sportsmanship and encouraging team members. Most did extremely well to maintain good behaviour in such a stimulating environment.

Some of the team

           

Thanks to the hard work and preparation by Audree Poff and therapists Kier and Jayne, we were able to run our first ever kindergarten class using a traditional kindergarten model with ABA teachers. The focus remained on skills linking to the following goals;

• Child’s ability to cope with a kindergarten routine
• Child’s behaviour during mat-time
• Level of engagement with typical kindergarten activities
• Ability to transition between activities
• Ability to engage with peers
• Ability to engage with adults
• Coping with separation from parents
• Ability to learn in a theme based learning environment
• Ability to follow group instruction
• Confidence speaking in front of peers/in a new environment
• Sharing /Turn taking skills
• Cooperating and following rules

The children participated as a class of 9 in two sessions that ran for 2 ½ hours each. With enough interest we will continue with the group or set up subgroups during school term. In the future we will also think about running a preprimary group.

 

 

 

 

Mat time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys playing dress ups together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dress ups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft Activity

We put a lot of thought into pairing up children with similar ability. Through experience we have learnt that the key to success all comes down to the correct grouping of children. If you have an interest in signing up for future groups please contact your Case Manager first as they will have the best insight into whom they will match up best with. Cost depends on the size of the group but they are very affordable. As a result of friendships formed in either the cooking class, small social skills groups and bowling, some of the older children have now become pen pals and they practice writing to one another during school term.