Home learning ideas for FHS students

The Frederick Holmes Sensory Classes are going to experience and explore a range of Houses, Homes and Buildings, including Circus Tents, Art Galleries and a variety of places to dwell as well as Carnival themes and an explosion of colourful experiences and activities. To support families and children during the next term we have put together a selection of resources and activities that we will be exploring in school for you to complete at home.

We have also included a section that provides you with a comprehensive view of the essential communication strategies that we use consistently within school.

We hope that you enjoy sharing the resources with your very special young people at home as much as we do at school. Please take some photographs of what you get up to and share them with us on the school Facebook page.

Houses Homes and Buildings Carnival of Colour

A Sensory Activity

The following Sensory Activity sequence is about building a house.On each slide, beside the image, is a possible sensory activity – with some simple notes in [ ] to et you know how we may do it in class.Each slide also has a sound button on it – sometimes a sound effect and sometimes a video.

Do be careful that students do not hurt, injure or endanger themselves with any of the sensory props used.

Primary Sensory Class

Spring Term

4D

Houses, Homes and Buildings

Use OoRand SR

Plastering.

Can you explore your dollop of plaster?[We use home-made play-dough]

Electricity.

Can you push the button to turn-on the light?[We use Big Buttons]

Bricks.

Can you put one brick on top of another?[We use foam bricks]

Materials.

Building use lots of different materials – which is your favourite one? Can you make as choice?[We use a range of different textured materials]

Hammering.

Can you hammer using a tube?[We use foam tubes banged on the tray or hand]

Plumbing.

Oh no! We have a water leak. Who is ‘squeezing out’ all that water?[We use ‘squirty’ water bottles]

Lime Cement.

Can you mix the lime cement –using water and flour and straw?[We use a big bowl and a wooden spoon]

Painting.

Can you roll the roller?[We use soft rollers]

Mirror.

Can you look at yourself in the mirror and recognise yourself?[We use reflective foil]

Rocks and logs.

Some building are made from heavy natural materials like rocks and logs. Can you explore these materials – take care ?[We take care to hold the rocks and logs with the pupils, as they can be heavy]

Sensory Colorful Creations

Colourful Texture boards

Explore everything around you! You will need:A piece of cardboard: from any old box that you have around the house, the thicker the better as it will be stronger…the size of this project will be entirely up to you…… you could have several mini ones each with a different texture, think about how easy your boards will be to hold if you plan to make a large one.Assorted tactile colourful materials shiny card, glitter, foil, bubble wrap, scrunchy/smooth paper, old clothes, ….all make great surfaces for developing exploration skills…..and they all feel very different.Glue, Scissors and a Helper: Get sticking, if you have a child that is tactile resistant, using your hand under theirs allows them control over how much they would like to do, as they can remove their hand at any time….use your eyes to look at all the shiny materials and make choices through eye-pointing, smiling or reaching out.Get sharing……take pictures of your amazing work and upload onto the school Facebook page.

African Jewellery Here’s a link to a tribal dance performed by a tribe in Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLDwn9Jo6KgListen to the video with your child and support them to take part by tapping a rhythm on their arm or leg. Have you noticed the colourful jewellery they are wearing?Have a go at making a tribal necklace. Use a paper plate as your base and pasta pieces or coloured straws to add detail (assuming we can still get hold of pasta this time!)You might enjoy using the pasta to shake as you listen to the dance.

Australian Aboriginal ArtTake a look a some Aboriginal art from Australia. They use bright colours and dots to create a picture. There are some colouring templates on the next slides to give you some ideas. Use either a cotton bud or finger tips dipped in paint to colour your picture. This is a great opportunity to develop communication skills, make choices and practice motor skills.

Chinese DragonsChinese New Year is coming up on Friday February 12th (what better excuse to treat yourself to a lockdown takeaway!)To celebrate, why not create your own Chinese dragon puppet? Paint a paper plate and fold in half to create the mouth, next you will need to paint an egg box for the eyes and stick it on top. Use colourful feathers/ribbons/tissue paper to create a body for your dragon. Maybe you could get your dragon to dance along to some Chinese New Year celebration music?Sesame Street: Chinese New Year Dragon Dance with Elmo and Abby! - YouTube

Rainbow Dance massage

At school we often enjoy some dance massage time and this will be easy and simple to recreate at home.Both massage activities in the learning pack, should be repeated in the same way with the same music and

Touch sequences. Access to repeated activities in a consistent manner is essential in helping our very special young people to develop a range of skills. Quite frequently the newness and unfamiliarity of a an

activity will limit or effect how engaged our sensory learners are, through repeating the same activity over and over, promotes and supports, engagement and exploration of sounds, sights and textures. It also helps

to support long term memory development and we begin to see all those lovely anticipation skills developing, through excited, giggly and smiley responses. You are the most important person in helping

your child to develop these skills, remember repetition is a really valuable learning tool.

Rainbow Dance massage

Go and find some different coloured fabrics to look at during the massage sequence, to drape across you lap during the activity, alternatively you can play some different coloured video clips on you-tube, please be

careful that any videos you share are age appropriate. The songs for each massage sequence is indicated at the top of each slide.

If you have access to an Alexa or other similar device and a Big Mack, you can record the titles of the songs onto this and support for young people to press the switch to get Alexa to play the song, this not also only

helps develop understanding of environmental control; technology, but also promotes additional independence during the massage activities.

Don’t forget to take some pictures of your colourful massage activities and share them with your friends on the school facebook page.

Listen to Spandau Ballet Gold and sway to the music.

Scarf dancing, gently swaying and rocking.

Grab a brightly coloured scarf of long stretchy piece of fabric, Place around their back, holding onto both sides of the scarf face to face and gently use the scarf to sway and rock from side to side.

• Play and listen to Super Massive Black Hole by Muse

• Use your hands in a firm but gentle, jabby clawing action all over the body to the beat of the music.

• Play and listen to the Green Green grass of home by Tom Jones

• Gently massage all over shoulders and down arms.

Play and listen to How big How Blue How Beautiful by Florence and the Machine

• Finger Dancing, tap on each finger like playing the piano.

• Play and listen to Purple Rain by Prince

• Grab some hand cream and enjoy a nice gentle hand massage

• Play and listen to True Colours by Cyndi Lauper

• Wiggly fingertips. Gently tracing wiggly lines across arms shoulders and back

• Play and listen to Red Red Wine by UB40

• Long soft flowing strokes using flat hands

• .

• Play and listen to Carribbean Blue by Enya

• Relax and have cuddles

Rainbow Sensory massage

At school we often enjoy some sensory massage time and this will be easy and simple to recreate at home.Both massage activities in the learning pack, should be repeated in the same way with the same music and

Touch sequences. Access to repeated activities in a consistent manner is essential in helping our very special young people to develop a range of skills. Quite frequently the newness and unfamiliarity of a an activity will limit or effect how engaged our sensory learners are, repeating the same activity over and

over, promotes and supports, engagement and exploration of sounds, sights and textures. It also helps to support long term memory development and we begin to see all those lovely anticipation skills developing, through exciteable, giggly and smiley responses. You are the most important person in helping your child to

develop these skills, remember repetition is a really valuable learning tool.

Rainbow Sensory massage

Go and collect all your tactile sensory props, the items you will need are indicated on each slide, have a quick look through so you can have them all ready before you begin. You will find that the suggested props are readily available and you will find you will have the vast majority of them already if your house, even

the most simplest of items can be a great sensory object of exploration. If you don’t have access to any of the items suggested, don’t be afraid to be creative and add something different. Just remember to keep

your massage routine the same, don’t feel that you need to add new objects each time you do it. Remember repetition is really important.

The songs for each massage sequence is indicated at the top of each slide.

If you have access to an Alexa or other similar device and a Big Mack, you can record the titles of the songs onto this and support for young people to press the switch to get Alexa to play the song, this not also only

helps develop understanding of environmental control; technology, but also promotes additional independence during the massage activities.

Don’t forget to take some pictures of your colourful massage activities and share them with your friends on the school facebook page.

• Play and listen to 99 red balloons by Nena.

Float your balloons about, practice your visual tracking skills as you watch them float. Develop anticipation skills by using ready steady go, before bouncing them off heads and shoulders.

• Play and listen to How big How blue How beautiful Florence and the Machine.

Squashing with blue sponges, you can use either one of these during this activity, if you want to help with choice making and expressing preference use both and observe which one get the best positive response.

• Play and listen to: Here comes the Sun by the Beatles

• Pat arms and legs with soft yellow pads, a yellow duster is perfect for this.

• Play and listen to: Flying purple people Eater by Sheb Woolley

• Tickling with long thin paintbrush brush using quick jerky movements.

• Play and listen to Watermark by Enya

• Big decorating style paintbrushes use long sweeping strokes.

• Play and listen to Super Massive Blackhole by Muse.

• Gently jabbing on hands with red scourer pads.

• Play and listen to Green Door by Shakin Stevens

Gently tapping all over body with drumsticks, wooden spoons, spatulas or chopsticks are also great for this, try having one each and take turns tapping one another.

• Play and listen to the Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber

• Relaxation, choose your favourite touch feel experience and enjoy it again while you relax and have cuddles. Adagio for strings Berber

Computing

Switch workIf you have access to a switch at home then there are lots of different

games and websites you can try out. (Click the link on the school website page for lots of different resources).

In class the students all use different access methods to play cause an effect games.

One of our favourite websites is ‘helpkidzlearn.com’(please see long link below for this site)

Students are encouraged to reach out and press their switch in order to engage with the game.

https://www.helpkidzlearn.com/updates/school-

closure.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=covid&utm_content=hklfreeresources&utm_source=Inclusive+Technology+%26+HelpKidzLearn&utm_campaig

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Communication

Touch Cues

Touch cues are physical cues that are used in a consistent manner on the child or adult’s body to give a specific message about what is about to happen to the person. In most cases, the touch cue will be at or near the body part that will be affected and, if the touch cue is used to prepare the child for movement, the touch will give the child information about the direction their body will move. The following are examples of commonly used touch cues. It is important to remember, however, that touch cues are individualized for each person. There is no standardized list of touch cues. Deciding on which touch cues to use with a specific individual will depend on how that person receives tactile information and how they prefer to be touched.

Two gentle taps on the back shoulders …. Signals that the person is about to ‘’Move’.

Two gentle taps on the front of the shoulders …. Is asking the person if they are ‘Ready?’

A gentle rub down the length of the arm … Signals that an activity is ‘Finished’.

Read more: http://www.cadbs.org/news/a03-touch-cues/

More.(Put one of your hands on top of the pupil’s hands).

Communication

Ready. Tap front of the shoulders twice.

Communication

More.(Put one of your hands on top of the pupil’s hands).

Communication

Finish. (Brush your hand from shoulder to the end of the pupil’s arm (one arm only)

Communication

More.(Put one of your hands on top of the pupil’s hands).

Communication

Move. (Using palm of both hands, tap twice on top of shoulders).

Communication

Communication

Objects of Reference

What are Objects of Reference?An object of reference is any object which is used systematically to represent an item, activity, place, or person. Understanding real objects is the first stage of symbolic development. Therefore using objects is considered the most concrete way of representing a word. Objects of reference are used with individuals who find it difficult to understand spoken words, signs, symbols or photographs. The object can be:

•A real object, for example a toilet roll to represent going to the toilet•Part of a real object, for example part of a towel to represent bath time•Miniature objects, for example a toy desk to represent that it is time to work•Abstract objects, for example a silk scarf to represent a particular person

Smells and sounds of reference can also be used to provide multisensory feedback.

Read more : https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/

Objects of reference- what are they?

An object representing :(POLE)

PERSONOBJECT

LOCATIONEVENT

Ideally should be something pupils are not encountering in other

contexts.

Communication

1. ‘Bathroom’ –bathroom plug

Communication

2. ‘Bus’ -webbing

Communication

3. ‘ Break’ -blue spoon

Communication

4. ‘Dinner ’- coaster

Communication

Using objects of reference:Encourage pupils to engage with object of

reference- look at it / feel it.Present up to 3 times.Once presented –GO!

Take away object of reference once the POLE is reached.

Communication

• “Intensive Interaction works on early interaction abilities – how to enjoy being with other people – to elate, interact, know, understand and practice communication routines.” Dr Dave Hewitt of the Intensive Interaction Institute. https://www.intensiveinteraction.org/

Intensive Interaction is an approach which seeks to develop communication. It can be quite

a complex approach, but at its simplest, Intensive Interaction uses one-to-one interaction; it is

based upon attention, reaction and copying of even the smallest communication cues.

It is one of those approaches which is better understood by ‘seeing’ rather than being ‘told’.

Thus we suggest that you click on the link below and view the video clips of this sight, for a

fuller understanding.

Intensive Interaction