As our grassroots organisation grows, we regularly re-evaluate the format of our holistic education programmes to maximise the impact they have upon the development of our children. Last term we decided to trial Occupational Therapy Sessions to see if they could assist children facing physical development challenges.
Occupational Therapy sessions Provide practical support and exercises to empower children and help them overcome physical factors underlying learning and behavioural problems. This drug-free and non-invasive approach can help children overcome the following barriers to learning:
- Reading and writing difficulties
- Educational underachievement
- Attention issues
- Dyslexia and Dyspraxia
- Poor co-ordination and balance related problems
- Behavioural problems
We are able to achieve this with the help of experienced Occupational Therapist Lisa Muir. From February, Lisa ran the following OT Sessions with staff and children at SOS Africa St Michael’s, Elgin:
- Individual Assessments and OT Programmes: Assessment and programmes designed to support children facing the greatest barriers to development and learning. These individual programmes will incorporate specific reflex integration exercises.
- Staff Training Sessions: Training our staff to facilitate regular group exercise routines with our children to assist their physical development. Lisa will then return to our centres every 6 weeks to observe and adapt the group sessions.
SOS Africa Western Cape Trustee Helena observed and photographed the initial sessions:
“During the whole session, Lisa coached our staff what to look out for in the kids movements, how to correct them and what the exercises are meant to achieve. The occupational therapy sessions tie in so well with SOS Africa’s approach of giving kids holistic support during their school years. These simple physical exercises are really going to benefit our children on so many levels.”
As you can see from Helena’s photos, our staff and children are very excited about the introduction of Occupational Therapy Sessions and look forward to their resumption when schools re-open.
