Improving the functioning of children, age 3-6 years, with central nervous system damage

Based on knowledge gained throughout years of working with children with cerebral palsy, teachers and specialists of the Special Preschool No. 11 in Lublin have developed their own functionality improving system for those disabled children . The main objectives of the system are to prepare children for independent life in society, development of physical activity, mastering everyday activities and opportunities to communicate. These assumptions are realized in the classroom in small groups of children. Improving a group of children of the same age and similar rates of learning facilitates the repetition of acquired skills in various everyday situations. Data on the development of children are collected and recorded in special sheets prepared by therapists. Parents of the child are asked to complete the sheet . Information taken from the observaation sheet form the basis to create a functional diagnosis for every child. The rating scale GMFM (Motor Function Measure Gross) is an important complement to the assessment of the child’s development. Educators, psychologists, speech therapists and a physical therapists make a functional diagnosis for each child, which forms the basis for the preparation of educational and therapeutic programme (Ipet.). The educational content of the programme is constructed in a „spiral pattern” with a view to broadening and deepening knowledge. Cooperation of the therapeutic team with parents of disabled children is an essential condition for achieving progress in the child’s development. Introduction Objective of the project Justification for the efficiency in functional improvement made by children aged 3 6 years with nervous system damage. Main assumptions of functional improvement system followed in Special Kindergarten No. 11 in Lublin Substantive consultation: M.D. Krzysztof Metera, prof. WSSP – Proxy Rector for Research Vincent Pol University (VPU) in Lublin Special Kindergarten No 11 in Lublin is the only public institution around lubelskie province that is taking care of children with different disabilities. Basing on knowledge, taken from many years working with children with celebral palsy, teachers and specialist found the way to make their own functionality improving system for children with nervous system damage. The main assumption of the system is to prepare a child with disability for an independent life in the society , on the level that it is possible. To make this happen some important circumstances must be created so that education tasks can be introduced, with influence on: • Neuromotorical function – learning how to move, to change place, • Self –service function – learning how to do activities of daily living, • Communication function –learning to speak, to communicate, • Intelectual function learning directional