Beersheba Christian Mission has a learning centre that coordinates the learning activities of her clients. We believe that every person with special needs has the potential of learning at least a skill that can be of value. This belief motivates us to view every client in a positive light as we develop his or her individualized plan.
CURRICULUM DELIVERY
The core business of the BCM Learning Center is to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum to our learners. Curriculum that takes into account the triad of impairments, namely:
Difficulties in social interaction
Communication
Imagination (narrow and restricted repertoire of behavior and range of interest)
We define curriculum as everything that happens at the school, home, and hostel involving the education of our learners. Our entire staff, parents, and significant others are regarded as important role players in delivering a consistent, clear, and tailor-made curriculum to each learner. We plan our curriculum as a whole school. We incorporate the following learning areas:
Social
Language and communication
Behavior
Numeracy
Self-help
Vocational
Motor movement
Leisure
As learners on the autism spectrum and other related mental challenges vary with regard to their experience of educational barriers and priorities for support and treatment, an individualized educational program (IEP) is the backbone of curriculum delivery, recording, and reporting at BCM Learning Center.
An IEP is drafted in a collaborative, complimentary way by a trans-professional team consisting of:
Class Instructors
Assistant Class Instructors
Parents
Occupational therapist
Speech therapist
Psychologist
Centre Administrator
Any other person who might be a stakeholder in the process, on condition that the parents give consent.
The team is trans-professional (a trans-disciplinary team is one in which members come together from the beginning to jointly communicate, exchange ideas, and work together to come up with solutions to problems) and not merely multi-professional, as there are no rigid boundaries between the contributions and functioning of team members. The role-release model is implemented. Role release is the transfer or sharing of a specific task, activity, or intervention practice usually performed by a discipline-specific member of the educational or therapeutic team with another person.
Assessments by professionals are not done solely for the sake of assessment or to establish functioning levels. Assessments serve to enlighten our understanding of learners, and the knowledge gained needs to be integrated into operational recommendations and outcomes for them. There are no formal pre-discussions with learners before an IEP session. The IEP session is a dynamic interaction between the team members, which feeds their contributions into the process where applicable. This does not exclude preparation by team members.
The IEP is formulated in positive outcomes-based terms.
The IEP formulations are guided by the use of an acronym named SMART, which means:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time bound
All members of the trans-professional team are present when formulating a new IEP or reviewing an existing IEP. This happens at the end of every academic year during a three-hour slot. The IEP is refined after the team meeting and typed up. Parents get a copy of the document for approval and to use as a working document. Formal reports are drafted by the professional team members when needed. There are two opportunities every year when parents and teachers focus feedback discussions on the IEP. This happens during parent-teacher weeks in the second and fourth terms. Parents are required to bring their updated copy of the IEP to these meetings. Teacher record books and weekly reports are in synch with the IEP of each learner.
New learners to the school will have an IEP meeting as soon as possible after admittance. The observational assessments will serve as a basis for discussion. Where applicable, learners can be involved in the formulation of their own IEP, and should the need arise for more discussion or feedback on a learner’s IEP, efforts will be made to meet the need. Professional judgment will be used to determine who should be present at such discussions. Our outcomes-based curriculum strives to attain the following six critical outcomes for our learners by the grace of God:
1. To communicate effectively using whatever mode the learner is capable of.
2. Establish and maintain social relationships.
3. To be able to manage behavior and emotions
4. To develop learners’ understanding, thinking, and problem-solving abilities through the use of all available senses and experiences.
5. To manage activities of daily living as independently as possible.
6. To be able to take part in recreational activities and work in the community.
The BCM Learning Center offers a wide range of teaching techniques. We aim to respond appropriately to the differing curricular needs of our learners. We are aware of current thinking and research in the field of autism, and where appropriate, we offer new approaches to learning. We use aspects of TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children), social stories, music, and movement. Occupational therapy is offered to address the perceptual and motor difficulties of our learners. A role-release model, whereby other staff work under the supervision of our therapists, is followed as the case load is too high to otherwise deliver an effective service. Occupational therapists play a pivotal role in the vocational phase and activities of daily living.
We acknowledge that most autistic learners prefer visual over verbal modes of learning. We are continually making efforts to create a visually explicit school environment that will enhance clear communication. Speech therapy is very much involved in the social skills aspect of curriculum delivery. The philosophy is to develop communication and social skills within context. Often, the therapists will offer support and expert guidance in the classroom or other contexts. The teacher and assistant accompany the class for lessons. Individual therapy [both speech and occupational] is only offered in exceptional cases and under supervision. Sexuality education takes a high priority and is presented under the direction of an expert in a structured way throughout the year. Instructors are empowered to deliver the program on a need-based basis and in an age-appropriate way. Parents give informed consent and are offered guidance to fulfill their responsibility with regard to this aspect of their child’s development.
As part of our social learning area curriculum, we have regular outings every day to special interesting places. We make local and international trips with our students. Appropriate social behavior is taught in context. The whole school goes on a much-appreciated and enlightening trip to resorts. More extensive educational tours and exchange program trips are arranged for our clients. Above all, we pray daily for all our students individually, as we cannot achieve any significant improvement or miracles without prayers. Our Faith Clinic ministers are at hand for healing ministry to the students. A child cannot be with us for six months without any significant improvement. This is the cheering testimony parents have for our mission. The Faith Clinic is the largest part of the curriculum and activities of the BCM Learning Center.