Our Inclusive Programs

Our programs are equally relevant to children in school settings to our senior citizens in care facilities.  Programs encompass a wide area of concerns and issues relating to inclusion.

Programs include practical sessions and/or workshopping on a needs basis.

Sessions have included :

• Building group cohesion
• Fostering feelings of belonging for all individuals
• Building respect and esteem for individuals who are different
• All behaviour is communication –what is this individual trying to tell me?
• Engaging the generally ‘disengaged’
• Building confidence for the anxious individual
• Keeping it all safe for the anxious student
• Teaching so that everyone experiences success
• Facilitating equal contribution for the most passive individual
• Developing social understandings and practicing social skills in a fun way
• Building leadership skills and self-esteem
• Facilitating communication and self-expression
• Aiding for empowerment of our students
• Considering the parent’s journey… And their contribution to student development
• Autism – ‘What I wish my teachers had understood’
• Autism – I’m an alien landed on the wrong planet…
• School is a fun place to be and I am special!
• Everyone of us has a contribution to make – esteeming each other’s contributions

Some popular session descriptions are described here:

Establishing communities for those who struggle to fit – through music!!

Students, who are marginalised in some way, usually have some social difficulties that sabotage their efforts of connection.  This session provides and facilitates the desired connections while also actively developing self-esteem.  Along-side self-esteem development, activities facilitate explicit teaching of social skills including team work, sharing, waiting, leading, copying, self expression, idea initiation and relaxation.

Working with small groups teacher aides can help all students to feel that they belong and have valuable contributions to make –whilst having fun! This session is designed to equip teacher aides to lead small groups within their own settings.

Student empowerment through aiding!

The manner in which we prompt, aide and cue students has a huge impact on their self-esteem and development.  Aiding in such a manner as to facilitate choice making, decision making, leadership etc is empowering of students and assisting them towards independence while very close direction and behaviour controlling is associated with greater dependence, lower self-esteem and increased passivity. 
Through fun activities this session examines methods of aiding and the messages that we inadvertently give to students through our actions. 
This is a powerful session for aides –reflecting on practise and raising awareness for the empowerment of our students!

Facilitating a Place for Each & Everyone –Your Stage

Everyone has a place and everyone belongs.  Unfortunately many individuals do not feel a sense of belonging and many do not know how to make the necessary social connections.

Your Stage teaches many of these skills explicitly and facilitates connectedness.  Your Stage empowers students, facilitates success and provides experiences of leadership and team work. 

Your Stage utilises music to engage individuals. Music then provides structure (for example chorus and verse); it also provides repetition and predictability.  Throughout the session, fun and enjoyment are a paramount concern.

We can work together determining the needs of individuals. During the course of six sessions you and your staff will be trained to conduct sessions yourself.  Its easy!!  After six sessions you will be confidently continuing sessions with only periodic support and input.

Autism –‘What I wish my teachers had understood’

Emily Brake -a 19 year-old student with high functioning autism speaks with insight about difficulties faced at school and offers alternatives that would have helped school life to be more manageable.

Emily’s talk is supported and augmented by Mary Brake -Inclusive programs.  Mary has worked with individuals who 'operate the autistic way' during the past 19 years, including groups from the Kent Autistic trust (UK) Giant Steps Tasmania and Esk Support Service.