If you’re looking for online resources, download this document for access to many home learning links covering a variety of topics:
Links to Online Resources and Websites for Home Learning (PDF)
Links to Online Resources and Websites for Home Learning (Word)
Sensory trays are a fantastic way to help children regulate regardless of age. A single tray can be made up or a selection of different trays (wet, dry,hard, soft etc). Plastic animals can be added for story telling, or funnels, sieves, plastic cups and spoons are also useful for exploring. These can be made in any plastic container such as a washing up bowl or shallow tray. The ‘really useful box’ brand are great as they come in different sizes with lids. You can purchase a 10-litre tray here.
Some of our favourites are:
Learning how to use cutlery effectively is a common goal for many of our children at Gesher. Here is a link to a YouTube video that will help your child learn how to use their knife and fork and practise their skills at home. This is a great way to help younger children remember how to correctly hold and use their knife and fork using the ‘stab with the fork, down the slide and saw saw saw saw saw’ sentence.
There are several options when it comes to cutlery and many shops and places to purchase different ones. We recommend using Caring cutlery with children as this cutlery has an indentation where the index finger is to be placed and is specifically designed to fit the child or young person’s hand. This cutlery comes in both child and junior sizes and many different colours. Utensils with thick and/or textured handles are easier to hold. A spoon or fork with a short handle is easier to control. Consider the weight of the cutlery. Sometimes something heavier can be easier to control.
Use plates with shallow and rimmed plates with high sides so that the food can be pushed to the side of the plate, to make it easier for them to pick it up with a fork or spoon by pushing it onto the sides.
Check the plate/bowl isn’t sliding around. A Dycem non-slip surface or mat may be useful.
Consider using plastic plates rather than crockery or metal as some children may be adverse to the sound of the cutlery hitting the plate.
Below are some links to where you can purchase items mentioned in this post.
Reduce anxieties and frustrations and make it easier for your child to understand, follow and remember what they need to do with the TomTag visual support system. Inspired by a mum and her autistic son Tom, TomTag has been created to help parents and children communicate. With a unique and innovative design, this award-winning communication tool helps children and young people develop coping strategies to manage their day, using structure, organisation and predictability – at home, at school and when out and about. There is also a very handy tips and resources page which you can find here.
This is a card game that supports attention, listening, vocabulary, and turn-taking. The linked version is the original, but various other versions can be purchased to support different vocabulary areas, or that are in line with your child’s interests e.g. there is a Harry Potter Dobble, Seaside Dobble, Paw Patrol Dobble. You can buy Dobble here.
This is a matching and memory game for early years. It supports turn-taking, memory, attention and listening and the development of grammar. Here is a link to where you can purchase the game.
A charity that helps to buy SEN buggies, either a double buggy or single buggy. You can find out more about SEN buggies here.
