The Physical and Motor Development Department has grown
The Physical and Motor Development (KME) Department has existed at the Schule am Budenberg since 1978. Over the past 40 years, the educational work has continually changed and developed further. Innovations in the organisational framework such as all-day schooling, but also structural measures and not least the constantly changing student body, have required adjustments to the school’s conditions and to the needs of our students. Alongside the focus area Learning, the department has grown with the focus area Physical and Motor Development, so that more than a third of the students also have this support need. Students with impairments of the musculoskeletal system, damage to the central nervous system or the skeletal and muscular system, malfunctions of organs, chronic illnesses and autism are taught here. They are taught together with students who have the focus area Learning. Joint learning and working in mixed classes is experienced by students and teachers as very positive and enriching. The students learn with and from each other. Consideration, helpfulness and acceptance play an important role in this.
Joint learning in mixed classes is at the centre
Shared experiences and actions, social interaction, hands-on and independent learning shape the lessons. The particular learning behaviour is taken into account through small-step work, the principle of individualisation, an adapted learning pace and the appropriate design of the learning environment (cf. LEGELMANN Stuttgart 2010, pp. 123-138). The special features in the areas of motor skills, perception and one’s own body awareness, which often accompany the medical conditions, are supported in lessons but also particularly through targeted offerings in the areas of movement and psychomotor activities.
Numerous aids are available to our students
In addition to individually adapted furniture and standing boards, students have access to various aids such as a hand-operated drive for the sewing machine, special cutting aids in the kitchen, and aids for office and writing supplies such as rulers, set squares, scissors and so on. A cross-buggy can be used for excursions in the surrounding nature. There are quiet retreat areas in the Book Cave and in the classrooms. Due to all-day schooling, it is important for some students to have time to rest. Special bean bags can be used for positioning.
The schoolyard and school garden are designed to be barrier-free
As part of everyday school life, many of our students with the focus area KME receive additional accompaniment and support through their inclusion assistants. Together with the teachers and educators, they form a class team. The agreements made by this team make a decisive contribution to successful support.
The teachers regularly exchange information on KME-specific content and plan and organise the special support offerings and activities.
The school offers students barrier-free access to the beautifully designed playground, which provides many opportunities for motor and sensory experiences. The school garden is also designed to be barrier-free and, with paved paths and newly built raised beds, enables free access for all students.
Various therapy offerings are integrated into everyday lessons
One principle of teaching within the pedagogy for the physically disabled is “therapy-immanent teaching”. Various therapy offerings have therefore been set up for students with the KME support need within everyday lessons. In addition to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, parents can also take advantage of Speech Therapy. The integration of therapies into the school day represents a relief in everyday life for many families.
Furthermore, two psychomotor groups have been set up with age-appropriate offerings for students of the primary/middle school as well as the vocational orientation level. These movement offerings take place once a week in the gymnasium, which has been completely renovated and equipped with many attractive materials. In addition to a roller-board slide, various trampolines and a large selection of psychomotor materials, different vehicles are also available for outdoor use. Furthermore, there are two swimming offerings. One in the local indoor pool and the other in the nearby Otfried Preußler School, which has a special therapy pool. This swimming pool is particularly suitable for students who depend on a wheelchair. As part of this swimming offering, they can have varied experiences in the area of getting used to the water and their own body awareness.
Further offerings and activities are the “Sternstunde”, psychomotor activities, special sports and swimming festivals and therapeutic riding
Within the elective compulsory lessons, the “Sternstunde” (Star Lesson) is another offering that students with the KME focus area can take advantage of: In addition to the subject-specific content, students with the KME support need should also be given …”opportunities for self-determined action…” and for …”action planning…” within the framework of lessons. Within this “Sternstunde”, students can contribute their own needs, ideas and wishes. This includes joint activities but also conversations about their own situation and the related perceptions. For many students, this shared time also offers the opportunity to talk about their feelings or worries.
We are particularly pleased that since this school year we have been able to offer therapeutic riding as part of our special support programmes. Our students travel on Thursdays as part of our all-day programme to Breitscheid to Mrs Nicolette Böhm “Pferde fürs Leben” (Horses for Life), where they experience close contact with horses and have a wide range of experiences with and on the horse. Therapeutic riding offers individualised support in many areas. It promotes motor skills, the sense of balance and all areas of perception. Interaction with the horse offers intensive social-emotional experiences which have a positive effect on overall development. Riding and the various tasks in horse care require a great deal of sensitivity, but also the ability to concentrate and stamina. Our students have a lot of fun with this new offering and enjoy the time spent with Mrs Böhm.
Events firmly integrated into the school year are the joint trip to the Swimming Festival for KME students in Wiesbaden and participation in the Sports Festival in Kalbach near Frankfurt. Both events are enthusiastically embraced by the students.
Students at mainstream schools are accompanied by our Counselling and Support Centre
Students with the KME focus area who attend lessons at a mainstream school are accompanied by the Counselling and Support Centre, which is affiliated with the school. At various locations and school types, teachers are available who provide advice and support to the parents, students and teachers of the mainstream school in their educational efforts.
“Equal opportunity does not consist in everyone being allowed to pick an apple, but in the dwarf being given a ladder.”
Reinhard Turre
Therapy and Psychomotor Activities
One principle of teaching within the pedagogy for the physically disabled is “therapy-immanent teaching”. Various therapy offerings have therefore been set up for students with the KME support need within everyday lessons. In addition to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, parents can also take advantage of Speech Therapy. The integration of therapies into the school day represents a relief in everyday life for many families.
Furthermore, two psychomotor groups have been set up with age-appropriate offerings for students of the primary/middle school as well as the vocational orientation level. These movement offerings take place once a week in the gymnasium, which has been completely renovated and equipped with many attractive materials. In addition to a roller-board slide, various trampolines and a large selection of psychomotor materials, different vehicles are also available for outdoor use.
Furthermore, there are two swimming offerings: in the local indoor pool and in the nearby Otfried-Preußler-Schule, which has a special therapy pool. This swimming pool is particularly suitable for students who depend on a wheelchair.
Sternstunde and Therapeutic Riding
Within the elective compulsory lessons, the “Sternstunde” (Star Lesson) is another offering for students with the KME focus area: Within this lesson, students can contribute their own needs, ideas and wishes. This includes joint activities but also conversations about their own situation and the related perceptions.
We are particularly pleased about therapeutic riding as part of our special support programmes. Our students travel on Thursdays to Breitscheid to Mrs Nicolette Böhm “Pferde fürs Leben” (Horses for Life), where they experience close contact with horses. Therapeutic riding promotes motor skills, the sense of balance and all areas of perception.
Events firmly integrated into the school year are the joint trip to the Swimming Festival for KME students in Wiesbaden and participation in the Sports Festival in Kalbach near Frankfurt.
“Equal opportunity does not consist in everyone being allowed to pick an apple, but in the dwarf being given a ladder.”
Reinhard Turre