Sensory Equipment for Therapeutic Sessions with Children.

Hi, my name is Jodie Quinn and I am a Mentor Practitioner at a charity called Oasis Nurture UK which is situated at Oasis Joahnna Primary School. Originally designed by ‘Kids Company’ founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

The Nurture programme, which supports children who face multiple adversities in their lives, has been running at Oasis Academy Johanna for three years. Oasis Nurture is an attachment-theory-based programme that offers therapeutic support to children who find school challenging due to difficult situations in their lives. The programme provides every child with a trusted adult, with an academic background in psychology, psychotherapy, art therapy, or clinical, who can provide the child with a calm, safe and nurturing environment to express themselves and process the adversities they have faced/facing. Using art, play, and music, the child can navigate their anxieties and stressors which inevitably will increase their concentration and focus within class. Not only do SAT results appear to have gone up, attendance and attention have improved and there has been less disruption in class.

Within my sessions, I value using sensory equipment to regulate and balance the children's nervous systems when they are dysregulated. Sensory equipment can reduce anxiety and stress by targeting their senses which seem to be unbalanced. Providing a calming environment allows the child to feel relaxed and mindful and inevitably allows the child to retain more information and thrive within a classroom environment.

Dysregulated children may have difficulty with emotional self-regulation, leading to difficulties in attention, behaviour, and social interactions. I believe sensory equipment can aid children with these difficulties.

The sensory equipment that I am raising funds for includes, Autism- friendly spinning chairs, sensory tents to create a calm corner to play and relax, weighted blankets and more! As someone who uses sensory equipment directly with the children, I can see the immense impact it has on the children's nervous systems and their learning.

Within the month of November, I will be walking 100 miles to show my appreciation for the money donated.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated by myself, the team and the children! :)

Below is a link to an article written by The Guardian on Oasis Nurture.

The Future of Education