Making Great Progress For the Kids
Hands On
Cambria led a workshop for our staff on how to recognize physical challenges students face and provide solutions. For example Alex is legally blind but can just barely see. He can’t recognize the end of a page so Cambria provides special tactile paper with a physical border at the bottom of the paper to signal to Alex through a change in page texture that he’s reached the bottom of the page.
Another challenge for kids with limited finger dexterity is holding a pencil. Cambria attaches a large, yellow foam pads over the pencil so that Vicky can successfully grasp it.
One of Cambria’s Occupational Therapy specialties is working with kids with sensory processing challenges. The adaptive playground at the ranch is key for both kids with neuro-developmental issues needing proprioceptive input like bouncing on the trampoline and those in wheelchairs needing to spin on the merry-go-round or swing.
It is truly a gift to have a safe place that both special needs kids groups can use as well as the rest of the kids who come to the ranch for school and therapy.
Agustin's Growing School Programs
As His Wings kids age out of our primary school program we have an increasing need to also provide instruction for our middle school students.
Agustin has taken on the challenge of instructing these students as well as nearly a dozen more kids whose academic progress got derailed. Many kids in the areas find themselves far behind grade level as they’ve drifted away from attending school at all. Agustin is tasked with catching them up so they can pass their primary and middle school proficiency exams.
For those needing an opportunity to catch up Agustin provides full time instruction. He’s expanding the offerings for the kids to include starting up a chess league as an after school activity for the kids to work on their strategy and to build camaraderie.
April marks the beginning of another new program for Agustin as he will be adding a high school program to serve 8 local kids. He’ll have his hands full!
Another exciting activity at the ranch as the kids in chairs will be competing in a Baci Ball league!
Michelle Estrella's Workshop
Ms Estrella came out to the ranch to talk with the moms who have autistic children. She provided very informative information on how they can better communicate to their children and comprehend what their children are trying to express.
She shared simple visual communication tools as well as other creative ways to communicate with autistic children.
