$1,300 Grant Awarded to Life Skills Classroom

The photo above features a sensory-friendly reading area for children with autism, cognitive challenges and communication disorders. The teacher of this classroom wrote about the project below and how the grant helped her create this library for her students.

“Within my classroom, there are various educational challenges to develop reading skills. A child with autism exhibits impairments in communication, social interaction and behavior. These three core areas of impairment can directly affect reading development.

The purpose of the project is to create a quiet, cozy and sensory friendly reading area within my classroom to enhance the skills of students with communication, social interaction and positive behavior responses. The reading area includes:

1. Special interest reading areas for the students

2. Regulation of sensory input

3. Incorporation of Technology

Without a designated quiet and sensory based reading center, general classroom distractions can be overwhelming to students with intense learning challenges. The designated and separate reading area provides an opportunity for students, who need a high level of structure, to experience literacy success and build upon that success for greater skills enhancement and independence. This will enable students to have the potential to become life-long learners, be gainfully employed, and to be productive citizens.”

-Cindy Grieger
Life Skills Teacher
Monon Trail Elementary