School Readiness can be as direct as setting up a pretend classroom and going through each of the situations a child might find themselves in, similar to a social story. However, many of the skills necessary for success in school, including social skills and communication, can be taught through everyday, play-based interaction, as we do in our centers.
Staying seated during academic tasks.
Participating in group activities with other students.
Sticking with a task until completion.
Paying attention and following instructions.
Standing in a line with other students.
Awareness of others and their personal space.
Independent and group play skills.
Learning in an environment with distractions.
Transitioning to tasks that are not preferred.
Our goal at Springtide is for our clients to be prepared for whatever comes next in their lives. To do this, we make sure that we are teaching an understanding of the skills and situations they are learning, rather than simply memorizing when to perform certain actions or use certain words. There is no greater test of this than when a client moves on to a new environment. Our therapists work one-on-one with each client to identify any deficits in understanding that may not translate well to the school environment, and quickly collaborate to include those skills in their individual plan and get them on track for the school session.