Stepping Out on Saturday (SOS)
Respite Program for Children with Special Needs
Renfrew Educational Services is offering a unique service which provides a full-day program for children with special needs.
The Stepping Out on Saturdays program is for children from three to twelve years of age. Programs run on specific Saturdays from 10:30am until 3:30pm out of our Janice McTighe and Sundance Centres.
The programs are run by trained facilitators, with consultation from a psychologist, an occupational therapist and a speech-language pathologist. As well as providing a fun and safe experience, the program teaches social and self-regulation skills. Throughout the day, children have numerous opportunities to practice the skills they have learned. In order to facilitate a successful experience, information from an intake interview is used to develop a plan to support the child’s unique areas of need. Trained staff and a low child to staff ratio are key components to the program’s success.
Some of the Strategies We Use:
- Picture Schedules
- Social Stories - tailor-made to address the child’s areas of difficulty
- Sensory Integration - exposure to a variety of activities involving the seven senses
- Body Breaks - short walks, quiet areas, and physical activity to reduce stress and frustration
- Exercises - stress balls, deep breathing to teach the child to self-regulate more effectively
- ALERT Program™ - This program helps children with attention and learning difficulties through the use of sensorimotor strategies to manage levels of alertness (self-regulation awareness).
- Structure, order, routine and consistency
This program is partially funded by:
