A Little Backstory
In December 2019, a 4-year-old boy was pulled out of a Nursery as he was having great difficulty with separation from his parents, following nursery daily routines, social engagement, and communication. His mother had to stay with him at the nursery and support him all day as he was not comfortable around peers and teachers.
This issue with separation and major dependence on his mother, had resulted in delays in several areas of the child’s development such as learning, speech and social skills. His mother was also worried about the boy not being potty-trained and still wearing diapers within and outside of home. The child also did not yet have any diagnosis.
The First Visit to Sensation Station
The parents were referred to Sensation Station Centre by a Speech and Language therapist who was working in the nursery at the time. Upon completion of the parent consultation with the Able-Me Class Lead Head and an in-house Paediatric Therapist, and finally a full assessment – it was decided that the child was eligible to enroll in the Able-Me Early Intervention Day Programme.
The Intervention Process
In January 2020, the child (who’s name is Johannes) was enrolled in Sensation Station’s Able-Me Early Intervention Day Programme and was initially placed in Cheeky Champions due to his need to develop basic foundational classroom skills, focusing on separation difficulties, following daily routines, independence and self-help skills, communication and social interaction. Initially, when the boy joined the programme he cried for significant periods of time during the day for up to two weeks before settling in. Nonetheless, this was all a part of the team’s initial expectations. And while the Able-Me team were unable to completely console the child’s distress during this period, they firmly opted not to allow the child’s parents (particularly the mother) to intervene as part of the child’s adapting. With the team’s full support as well as the parents’ trust and cooperation, it was after these 2 weeks that Johannes started to settle and adjust within the classroom. Little by little – day by day, he began familiarising himself with daily class routines and started becoming more and more comfortable – even in the absence of his mother.
Johannes began to blossom and embrace learning when he achieved greater emotional stability and overcame the anxiety that stemmed from his separation from his mother, which had been the most significant obstacle in his path. Gradually, he began participating in class, interacting with his peers, and displayed competence in multiple areas of learning. He also started receiving 1 to 1 Speech and Language therapy once or twice a week, to develop his communication skills – which had previously been hampered due to his initial difficulties and had caused him to reject any interactions with other people.
He completed three terms from January 2020 to December 2020 at Cheeky Champions, aiming to establish a solid foundation in fundamental skills such as adhering to routines and instructions, acquiring new abilities, enhancing language and motor skills, as well as mastering tasks like toileting and dressing.
In the first term of the following academic year, Johannes was ready for Super Heroes – a classroom setting designed to provide a more structured learning environment. He had the opportunity to expand on his individual independence levels in a classroom and play setting as well as to encourage growth of social and friendship skills by learning the concepts of turn-taking, initiating play and being aware of other people’s emotions, amongst others. He received an introduction to key EYFS concepts and principles, including math, literacy, language, and communication, to prepare him for more structured lessons when he transitions to Leaping Lilly Pads (LLP), which is Sensation Station’s official School Readiness Program, in the upcoming term.
Johannes completed Super Heroes with flying colours and moved up to LLP in the second term of 2022. The main goal of LLP was to equip him with all the necessary skills and knowledge needed to transition smoothly into a mainstream school. This included the introduction of new academic concepts such as social studies, science and computing, among others. Having expressed great eagerness to learn and grow, Johannes thrived in his areas of learning, and by the end of term 2, the Able-Me Team determined with one voice that the child was ready to enter ‘big school’. This was officially confirmed when he took and passed the internal school readiness assessment provided by Sensation Station.
The final term of 2022 was solely dedicated to Johanes’ formal transition into a mainstream school. The Able-Me Team assisted his parents in finding the best inclusive schooling environment that will best cater to the child’s learning style and needs. Upon identifying said school, Johannes was invited to take the assessment for FS2 and passed it successfully. “Our core priority was to make the child’s transition to school as supportive and seamless as possible. Thus, we collaborated and worked closely with the school’s inclusion department and admissions team to ensure that the child was equipped and ready to begin the upcoming academic year in a completely new and bigger environment. Each week, we allotted specific days for the child to visit and explore his new school, while the rest of the days were dedicated for him to practice and review his lessons/subjects at the centre.” Said Maillah Moussa, Able-Me Class Lead at Sensation Station Centre.
Finally, a Happy Ending for All
Johannes’ official transition to ‘big school’ was a great success and he is currently enrolled in FS2 in a highly reputable inclusive school in Dubai. His parents hired an experienced LSA to facilitate additional support for him within the classroom, as he continues to adjust and build his independence fully.
His parents have always express so much happiness with how he is doing and performing at his new school ever since he transitioned from Able-Me in Summer 2022. He is even getting the ‘Star of the Week Award’ every now and then. Johannes also happily visits the centre from time to time, whenever his parents pick up his little brother, who is also currently enrolled in the Able-Me programme. The staff at the centre are always really excited to see how he’s grown each time he visits.
After having come a long way in his learning journey, the entire Sensation Station Team is extremely proud of how that little boy who once couldn’t separate from his mother even just for a minute, has bloomed into a bright, energetic and confident young man who enjoys every moment in ‘big school’. And indeed, it is the strong and genuine collaboration between the Able-Me Team and the child’s parents which has provided the Johannes with the best path to succeed and reach his goals. And we at Sensation Station will never get tired of looking back and celebrating his journey.
A Word from the Johannes’ Parents
“We would like to express how proud we are of the kind for child he has become. A few years back, we couldn’t have imagined this was possible. Coming to Sensation Station was the best decision we have ever made for him. Even on our first meeting for a consultation at the centre, we genuinely felt the sense of belongingness not only for us as parents but more so for Johannes. We feel that he found himself a second home. I am personally sad that he had to leave Sensation Station but this only means that the centre has done a really good job for him. I am truly proud of how much progress he has achieved in just more than 2 years and this wouldn’t be possible without all of you. It’s mixed feelings – so sad he has to say goodbye but very happy that Johannes is ready to take on new challenges and make new friends. We couldn’t thank you enough but again, thank you all very much from the bottom of our hearts for taking such good care of Johannes and we know that you are doing the same for Fil (Johannes’ brother who is currently enrolled in Able-Me).
More power to Sensation Station! Johannes is really fond of legos nowadays. He loves to build helicopters, airplanes and cars but he is also interested in building marble tracks. He seems good at following the manuals and even doing it by himself.”