Integrated Learning and Autism at Arunalayam

Every child is different and therefore no two children respond to their environment in the same way.Thus children with autism will generally have a very specific understanding (in a very literal sense) of their individual needs, how they communicate, and the small differences and nuances around social conduct.At Arunalayam, we care deeply about creating an environment where special children are able to not just learn, but also flourish.

A Collective Approach to Education for Students with Disabilities

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are considered to be neurodevelopmental disorders that represent a disruption in social communication with multiple symptoms from stereotypical behaviour patterns to dysfunction in social interaction. Traditional education systems attempt to achieve consistency amongst students by placing all in the same mold. This greatly limits the ability of students who do not fit this mold to excel. At Arunalayam we will disrupt the anticipated gender behaviour.

The programming for our class is constructed on each child's IEP. There are children with great strength in visual literacy, others with a lot of historically ingrained behaviours, and children with a strong display of coordinated social interaction. Our curriculum fuses social literacy and functional living skills into one associative concept to help our students make the link between what they have been taught in the classroom and what they will use in the real world.

The Importance of Communication and Social Skills for Autistic Children

One of the main difficulties facing children with autism spectrum disorder is communicating how they think and feel. So to help children learn how to use words or other methods of expressing themselves we have combined (or integrated) our services with other therapy providers to be able to provide services in one place and to create less frustrating and more beneficial experiences for children participating in their integrated treatment programs.

Using verbal prompts combined with visual supports such as; picture exchange communication system (PECS), we help the children that we work with develop their speech and language. We assist in the development of the following through varying methods such as play (alone or with peers) using the child's participation to indicate their desire to have exploring their environment as the conductor of the experience and their ability to take turns, use non-verbal forms of signalling to their peers, etc.. However, since children respond to various types of sensory input differently, the referrals for providing services in our Sensitive Integration Literacy Centre are sourced from agencies providing services in the same manner using similar criteria to assist children who require help developing their literacy skills.

Arunalayam supports parents, giving them tools and strategies to help their children be successful; we believe that the journey of a special child is a shared burden. Working with parents is essential - by reinforcing the methods we have implemented within the center, we will help children become self-assured and continue on their path to success.

In conclusion: Arunalayam is all about no boundaries, only potential. Our passionate support team allows us to impact the world of autism by realizing the potential of every child so they can be approached with dignity, respect, and hope. Our children are educated on their strengths not their limitations, and they will all find light and independence in their future.