WHAT IS A SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM?
Our Kids School Holiday Programs are intensive group therapy programs that run across the school holidays for neurodiverse kids and those living with developmental delays. Our programs usually run for 2-3 hours per day for four days, with the flexibility for participants to attend either part of the program or the entire thing! The most recent program was designed to include multiple different aspects of therapy ranging from integration of primitive reflexes, emotional regulation, social interaction, and skill development.
WHAT ARE PRIMITIVE REFLEXES?
Primitive reflexes are present to provide support throughout the birthing process and neonatal stages. As the development of the central nervous system occurs, these primitive reflexes are meant to integrate into more advanced reflexes and have a reduced influence on movement. Most reflexes should be integrated by 12 months of age, however, if they remain they can act as a barrier to learning, sensory processing and affect an individual reaching their developmental milestones.
The holiday program utilised rhythmic movements to help integrate any remaining primitive reflexes, build neural pathways and enhance the ability to process sensory information.
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP EMOTIONAL REGULATION?
During the holiday program, we implemented the Zones of Regulation curriculum to help our participants effectively identify their emotions and their states of arousal. Once the participants are able to correctly identify and understand their states of arousal, we teach the implementation of tools to help with effective self-regulation. Better understanding of how to use these tools and effectively self-regulate their emotions will allow each of the participants to use these skills in everyday life. It will assist the participants in school, social environments, and any other situation where self-regulating their level of arousal can benefit
WHAT SOCIAL GROUPS ARE INCLUDED?
To help with the development of social skills and interpersonal communication, we had lots of fun in our Lego Group and Parkour classes. The goal of the social groups is to encourage and develop teamwork, improve communication skills and increase the participant’s ability to interact with similar-aged peers. By providing challenges to a social group, we aimed to help build the social resilience of the participants as well as their confidence to interact within social settings.
WHAT DOES SKILL DEVELOPMENT INVOLVE?
Skill development is one of the key aspects of our intensives, we are working toward developing gross motor skills within a sporting context such as kicking a soccer ball or shooting a basketball. We include this to improve the ability of participants to partake in social activities with their peers in school and within a social sporting environment.
Starting a level 1 (verbal-cognitive phase) we work on developing a skill that at this stage is ineffective, requires conscious control of the movement and a stable environment. The transition into level two (associative phase) is when the participants are more fluid and consistent with the activity with more autonomous control. At this stage we implement environmental cues and external factors, with the aim of allowing them to competently complete the skills in the playground or as part of a social game
The entire team at Enhanced Living is excitedly looking forward to the next school holiday program with a range of engaging and beneficial therapeutic activities.
.