Therapies

Speech and Language Therapy

What is speech and language therapy?

Speech and language therapy provides treatment support and care for children who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.

Communication:

• Attention & listening

• Understanding

• Expression (body language, eye pointing, pointing, switch use, signing, AAC, speech)

• Interaction & social skills 

Feeding & Swallowing:

At Oakwood there is access to a dysphagia specialist to ensure children are supported to eat and drink safely if there are concerns around this. 

How do we work?

• We assess each child’s communication and set plans to address specific targets.

• We aim to work collaboratively with parents, teaching staff and other therapists to ensure a consistent approach to developing each child’s skills.

• Progress is evaluated and targets updated on a regular basis.

Aims:

• Help children to fulfil their communicative potential

• Promote language and communication skills within the classroom and wider school

• Enable children to access the curriculum, learn and make progress.

• Support the development of children’s social interaction skills

Our approaches:

All our children are different so programmes are tailored to the individual, but here are some approaches that we use:

• PECS http://www.pecs.org.uk/

• Intensive Interaction http://www.intensiveinteraction.co.uk/

• Makaton http://www.makaton.org/

• AAC

• Aided language displays 

Occupational Therapy

Paediatric Occupational Therapists (OT) assess and treat children who have difficulties that affect their ability to do every day functional activities. OTs  help the child achieve or maintain their maximum level of independence so they can access the school curriculum to their full potential.

Home/ school programmes and class-based interventions are used to ensure consolidation of skills and carryover into the child's daily life. Therapy outside the classroom is occasionally needed for specific assessments and interventions e.g. splinting. The OTs work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, alongside Teaching Staff, Physiotherapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and School Nurses. They work closely with families and carers and school staff to encourage continuity of programmes and goals between home and school settings, as this ensures maximum benefits for the child.

The key areas of intervention provided by the Occupational Therapist at Oakwood School include:

• Seating - assessment of posture and recommendations of suitable seating systems to enable access to the educational curriculum.

• Assistive Technology - to increase independence using of switches to access toys, computer software and communication aids (joint with SLT)

• Self-care skills including advice and equipment recommendations to promote skills in feeding, dressing and toileting.

• Sensory Processing - advice and programmes to address sensory difficulties that affect a child's ability to learn.

• Upper Limb Splinting - to maintain movement of hand and wrist joints and promote function.

• Fine Motor skills - with advice and strategies to support development using smaller muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists.

Swimming

Oakwood School is lucky enough to have its own hydrotherapy swimming pool!

Each class has a timetabled session in the pool and individual targets are planned for each pupil. Teachers liaise closely with the physiotherapists who advise on specific exercises for individuals which can be worked on in the pool. Sensory swim sessions are a favourite with all the pupils with lots of lights and music. As children become more confident in water, they will enjoy swimming lessons at Oak Park.   

Physiotherapy

Paediatric Physiotherapists are based at Oakwood School two days a week. They work closely the teaching team and with other health professionals in school including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and the school nursing team.

Aims:

To improve the function and general wellbeing of our pupils by working on gross motor development and postural management in order to maximise each child’s potential and enable them to access to the school curriculum to the best of their ability.

The Physiotherapists role

• Assess your child’s physical skills and gross motor development and devise individual programmes in conjunction with other therapists and school staff.

• Provide training to teaching staff and assistants to enable our recommendations to be carried out during the school day as well as to parents in home programmes.

• Following referral advise on the best way to position and handle your child and promote a 24 Hour postural management programme.

• Invite parents into school for assessments for suitable equipment for mobility or postural control with specialists companies, for school or home use, or we may arrange this as a home visit if more appropriate. Equipment may include walking aids, specialist tricycles, standing frames, school seating (often jointly with The Occupational Therapists), and sleep systems.

• We attend School Doctor appointments, reviews or other specialist appointments including wheelchair appointments when appropriate.

• Following referral we arrange clinics at school the Wheelchair Service as well as clinics with our local Orthotic Specialist for splints and specialist footwear.

• We also work jointly with the class teachers at Oakwood School with advice and delivery of individual swimming programmes when appropriate.

School Nursing Team 

The school has nursing cover available through the school day in term time.

Aims:

• To enable children with disabilities to attend school and have their healthcare needs attended to with minimal interruption to their education.

How do we work?

• We operate an open door policy, encouraging families and carers to make contact with the nursing team for advice and support on a range of health related issues.

• Our healthcare interventions are planned around the school day and class activities.

• We have a strong belief in privacy and dignity when planning children’s care and adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines.

Our role:

• The team works with families to prepare individualised care plans for children with a wide range of healthcare needs such as gastrostomy feeding, tracheostomy care, asthma, skin care, epilepsy care and continence issues. These plans are regularly evaluated and adapted as the child’s needs grow and change.

• To liaise closely with parents and carers about medication to be given in school.

• To train staff to administer some clinical procedures and emergency medication.

• As nurses we liaise closely with the classroom staff if they have concerns about a child’s health during the school day.

• The community paediatricians visit the school to see children and their families for annual medical appointments which are arranged via the nurses.

• The nursing team work closely with the other health professionals in the school, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists.

• The nurses also liaise with hospital and community teams, dieticians and social services should the need arise.

• We are responsible for reassessing the children for their continence products and providing advice on products.

• We offer support to parents and carers who are always encouraged to contact us.

Music at Oakwood

Music is a huge part of school life at Oakwood, each class has a specialst music session with Bev Cullen, our specialist music teacher, the benefits include:

• increased participation and engagement

• improved communication and social skills

• enhanced awareness of self and others

• release of frustration in positive ways

• personal satisfaction and a sense of achievement

• decreased tension, anxiety and challenging behaviour

• enjoyment and improved quality of life

She is also a Makaton Tutor who specialises in using Makaton with Singing.

Class music sessions are planned to meet the needs of the pupils.

Sessions combine singing, Makaton and the use of instruments to develop pupils’ skills in the following:

• communication

• turn taking

• social interaction

• awareness of others

• vocalisation

• self-confidence

• creativity

• spatial awareness

• co-ordination

• physical development

Bev chooses songs, music and activities to link into class projects to support our curriculum.

Every Friday lunchtime our Makaton Signing Choir come together to share their signing and signing talents. This is designed to develop our most able students in vocal, signing and communication skills (some pupils use a VOCA). Pupils have performed at singing festivals and The Big Sing at Forest Arts Centre and at the Walsall SEND Conference.

Rebound Therapy

This year at Oakwood we are proud to announce that we can now offer ‘Rebound Therapy’ in school. Rebound therapy is therapeutic exercise for individuals with a range of physical and learning disabilities on a full sized trampoline. This therapy will be provided by our own ‘Rebound Therapy Team’ who have been level 2 certified trained by www.reboundtherapy.org. Our school is able to offer this amazing therapy as we have the state of the art facilities including full size trampolines with safety decks at both school sites.

History of Rebound Therapy

Rebound Therapy was founded by E.G. Anderson in 1972 and is the use of full size trampolines to provide opportunities for therapeutic exercise, movement and FUN for learners with a wide range of special needs. Participates range from mild to severe physical disabilities and from mild to profound and multiple learning disabilities, including dual sensory impairment and autistic spectrum.

What is the Intent of Rebound Therapy?

Rebound Therapy is used to facilitate movement, promote balance, support an increase or decrease in muscle tone, promote relaxation, sensory integration, it improves fitness and exercise tolerance and to improve communication.

Rebound uses trampolines to provide therapeutic exercise to people with a wider variety of disabilities and additional needs. The therapy involves using the moving bed of the trampoline to promote movement in the participant.

Benefits of Rebound Therapy

Rebound Therapy has endless benefits including the developing and improvement of:

• Strength of limbs

• Early Maths

• Patience

• Communication

• Independence

• Self Confidence

• Balance

• Co-ordination

• Muscle tone

• Reaction speed

• Self Image

• Eye contact

• Relaxation

• Freedom of movement

• Sense of achievement

• Stamina

• Spatial Awareness

• Consideration of others

• Trust

• Height and depth perception

• Fun and Enjoyment!!!!

Other benefits include:

• Stimulation of digestive system

• Improved bowel function

• Internal organ massage

• Clearing of toxins from the body.

Implementation of Rebound Therapy

All pupils including staff must be screened for contra – indications before beginning to access Rebound Therapy. Unless trained medical staff advise otherwise, pupils with the following medical conditions SHOULD NOT access Rebound Therapy:

• Brittle bones

• Haemophilia

• Spinal rods

• Detached Retina

• Pupils with down syndrome if they exhibit both hypotonic muscles and lax tendons.

• Pregnant staff

• Dwarfism

A risk assessment and medical questions will be conducted before beginning to access Rebound Therapy. All rebound Therapy sessions will also have at least one therapist who has received ‘Level 2 Rebound Therapy’ training.

Impact  

The impact from conducting and engaging in rebound Therapy sessions will have a great impact on pupils learning across the all areas of the curriculum in different ways including:

Communication – pupils will be motivated to communicate more spontaneously.

Environment – the environment will be set up towards giving pupils the opportunity to work on activities which they find motivating, which in turn helps their regulation skills.

Independence and transitions – when pupils are more regulated they are more likely to be able to cope with transitions around school when learning.

Wellbeing – Pupils will engage in enjoyable experiences which support them in building self-confidence and self-esteem in turn promoting better mental health and physical health.

Learning - pupils will be taking part in not just physical activities but also activities from right across the curriculum and at all levels according to the ability and interests of the individual.

More information is availaible on their website - https://www.reboundtherapy.org/