Global Giving field report: Fall 2018
Below is a field report for our Global Giving fundraising campaign. To view the campaign, follow this link:
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Dear project supporters,
Since our last report, we have officially moved into our new therapy space and are running after-school therapy sessions! The space is currently in the Senegalese-American Bilingual School (SABS) here in Dakar, thanks to the gracious generosity of their leadership and staff. Our team leaders have taken this opportunity to work on school support for current students, as well as school integration for those who may be ready to start school for the first time. Our hope is that through placement in typical classrooms with children the same age, therapy students will be able to further improve their communication and social skills by learning alongside the school's already-enrolled students (while hopefully making some friends along the way!). A buddy system with a SABS student, as well as a trained therapy "shadow" to accompany them to school, will help make this transition more effective, comfortable, and enjoyable for all. We're looking forward to the next few months as these systems are put in place.
As for our own ever-ongoing training, we are well on our way to finishing ABA coursework as well as keeping in touch with our overseas supervisors. We have begun aiming towards certification in Pivotal Response Training (PRT Level II for now), which is a play-based therapy model that uses ABA and focuses on pivotal elements for children on the spectrum such as initiations, motivation, and self-management. We are hoping to begin steps towards opening our own center once all our trainings and certifications have been completed in the next year.
We thank you for your support and encouragement as we lay our foundations. Stay tuned!
Sincerely,
-The Dakar ABA team
Moving into our new space
A student and his sister play with blocks during a break in the therapy room. Sibling training, when possible, is an important aspect of therapy.
Group huddle during social skills practice with SABS student buddies
