Alana is in the TEACCH Program at school (which is awesome btw).
The TEACCH program is basically a very structured instruction with visual supports, teaching kids independance, academics and readying them for the workplace.
Each student has their individual work station (in most situations, some classes use one station and interchange it throughout the day between students). The station is intended to minimize distractions and keep the child focused. They usually consist of a desk or small table and a bookshelf or partions on each side of the desk and for some kids even behind the desk. This is not to be put in a play room (because toys are tempting!) or in view of a TV if at all possible
In Alana's class they have their own stations, in this station they do tasks that they can complete independantly or with very very little reminders, these tasks make it clear what needs to be done, some with picture directions, written directions, etc. if needed. Examples of a few of these tasks are File Folder Games which are mostly matching type tasks, the folder has things that they have a match to that they velcro to the same one in the folder. Workboxes, Workjobs & Shoeboxes , etc. which can be made or bought to suit the child, these are tasks the child can do independantly like sorting, matching, hand manipulation etc. etc. , puzzles, and worksheets. (links show examples, the etc one the tabs at the top have TONS of examples) A book about tasks and ideas.
The tasks are changed out every so often with new ones and then usually brought back just for a "refresher" so they don't forget. They start out with just have 3-8 tasks on the left side of them and when each is completed they are transferred to the right side of them. After that they are moved into numbered tasks they must complete in order, and so on.
So here at home we set up a work station for Alana to do some of these tasks here at home. Its a form of therapy, keeps her brain working AFTER school, and keeps her busy instead of running around like crazy. We are still in the beginning stages and need to make more creative work boxes with some of the ideas linked above! It's a work in progress! For now we are more on the things we already have that dont need to be "made" but shortly I will be making others along with Jennie her caregiver. I will be posting these as we make them!
But for now here is some photos of Alana at her work station at home yesterday with commentary on the tasks she is doing.
This one is pegs, here she is just putting them on the board, its a fine motor activity, to enchance this activity you can take a picture of how you want them put on the board and they follow the picture.
This one is just a bin of clothes pins inside that they have to put on the edge. I didnt start taking pictures until after this one because this is a very hard activity for alana, the strength needed to squeeze these clothespins onto the end of a bin is not easy for her. It really helps with hand function and the ability to control it.
These were just some larger scale shots I took to show the "station" the green bins on the left are tasks she still needs to do, then to go to the right when she has finished them. The bottom shelf is extra tasks and supplies to change out with the current ones. The files on top are worksheets and future file foler games, also her "reward" file.. some use these some don't when the kids start doing numbered bins in order the last bin can be a leisure activity like playdoh, or an award folder.
These are puzzle "words" good for puzzle fine motor activity as well as sight reading the words.. that are with the pictures.
This one I was doing something and didnt get pictures until she was done with it, its a 25 piece puzzle w/o a border. If you don't know what I am talking about when I say a border..think the cheap 3 pack you can get at Walmart that the picture doesnt stop at the pieces, the board/cardboard that pieces are placed on also has part of the picture.. Those are kind of like the puzzle being started already for the kids.. Oh here is an example. the first in puzzles would be Peg Puzzles then the chunky puzzles the next ones would be puzzles that are put together on top of a picture of the puzzle so its kind of like matching (you can buy some like this or actually photocopy the puzzle or take a picture yourself), the next step would be a puzzle with a picture border then the next one would be a puzzle with a board 24-48piece to place it (but no picture border, only pieces are the picture) the next one would be the above where only the pieces are the picture and there is no border or board, it is just put together on the table. (Alana uses a board to help her with these because it helps her with the edges to have something there, but the puzzle on this board does not fit the board and did not come with it, its a board from another puzzle.) (also sometimes tracing the puzzle pieces shapes on the boards and/or numbering them can help too.) Okay enough about puzzles..
This next task(s) is again a type of puzzle but it helps subconsciously with spelling and reading and recognizing letters. The next step I plan on doing after this is having her have a file folder with animals and then a laminated word of the each animal and she must match the word to the animal.. this would show she could read the word or at least memorized the word goes with that animal.. works for me!
Again another puzzle task this one shows opposites, yes we need to be more creative but like I said we are just starting lol..
Lining them up at the top of the desk..
And Beading.. another great fine motor activity, we are ahead of the just beading she is doing here in this photo. The step after this which we have done and still do is to draw or photograph an order you want the beads in and they must follow the photo or drawing. This can be done for many of tasks even giving them legos and have a picture of the legos made into a car that you want them to make (sometimes depending on the child and where they are you can jsut have a photo of the finished product, or you might need to have photos of each step)
Now I KNOW this desk is bringing back school memories right?? lol
