STEPBRIDGE

We noticed that many parents ask the child to “learn, learn” and acquire more knowledge. We are however interested in the links between knowledge and their practical application, concrete actions.
We noticed that some special needs children are able to read, to spell words and to write sentences but seem not to really understand the meaning of what they read, what they write. The same children are sometimes unable to follow a daily life instruction such as ‘’Please go and take a glass of water’’, ‘’Please take your bag’’, ‘’Do you want to play with me?’’, ‘’Which song do you like?’’.
Indeed it is essential that the child listens, understands his interlocutor (s), makes himself understood, can formulate a request according to a real need or a desire, can respond / react appropriately and adopt the most appropriate behavior according to the context.
We therefore focus all our work on UNDERSTANDING. Understanding the world around us, the relations between things and their environment, between people, the concepts essential to everyday life and to the learnings – language, reading and writing, mathematics, science, social skills -.
Whatever the child better understands spoken language or needs visual / auditory aids, it is important to establish with the parents and the child clear ways to make each other understand and communicate.
When a child understands well he will then be able to follow an instruction or to answer a question, have a greater social integration.

We prepare common activities – small groups – and a lot of individual work is dedicated to each child, according to his abilities, needs and difficulties. We follow English and Khmer school program curricula, at each child own pace.
Whatever the learning disorder or disability is, we softly try to expand the range of activities and possibilities, interests and games. Each concept is taught following various activities and materials, experiences.
Many parents encourage their child to learn, but it´s also very important to settle and work on positive learning dispositions and aptitudes. Being in the relationship, motivated to learn new things, active, focused and persevering, also creative is essential for the smooth running of education and learning. These dispositions and aptitudes have an impact on the capacities and the quality of improvement of knowledge and skills.
Stepbridge adapted learning center first establish a learning environment in which the child feels valued, safe, confident, respected, framed by rules of conduct, supported in his efforts, interested and motivated.

Who has not known parents struggling to make them heard, to be obeyed by their little ones? How can parents make a child listening to them, follow their instructions, have an appropriate behavior? Teachers, educators, guardians also face the same difficulties.
Some children get easily angry and have more tantrums than others – they scream, hit other people or hurt themselves, throw objects, get very violent -. From 18 months this is part of the normal development of the child. He tests his parents and their limits, their strengths, wants to get their attention. They also have lower tolerance for frustration. However, this is more common in special needs children who have difficulty in expressing themselves, in expressing their feelings, a speech delay, anxiety. It remains important to help them face the constraint, to set clear limits, to put simple words on what is happening.
We therefore establish clear rules and their consequences through useful actions, and help the parents to do the same at home, according the child´s age and maturity.
We prepare activities, exercises and games likely to develop and strengthen children listening, understanding and following instructions´ skills, to improve their behavior and to acquire good work habits both at school and at home.
We also help special needs children to establish an eye-contact, working on attention and developing eye-hand coordination in order to prepare him for school inclusion. We also help them expressing their feelings and needs / wants, their pain in order to help them grow up and step by step being able to express and to manage / control anger without violence, screaming, throwing objects or furniture, and follow safety rules.

Any parent would agree that it’s important to teach basic hygiene skills to their kids. Good hygiene habits are better established early. Having good hygiene not only keeps your kids clean and healthy but the benefits can spill over to other parts of their life. Children with good hygiene will have higher self-esteem and learn the importance of self-care. As a parent, it’s important for you to set a good example of basic hygiene for your kids. Take care of yourself and enforce these hygiene skills for your kids. Do everything with them, and explain how it should be done.

Hand Washing
It’s no secret that good hand washing is the key to good hygiene. At Stepbridge Center, we make sure your child knows to use soap and lather well. We hand wash before lunch, after going to the toilet, after playing outside, after school.

Good Eating Habits
We follow good eating habits such as remain well sit while eating, throw the garbage in the bin. Before and after eating each child has to wash his hands.

Covering Their Cough and Sneeze
This is not only a basic hygiene skill for kids but it should be a lifelong habit. Covering your cough is just respectful to everyone around you. Sneezing into a tissue and then washing hands is the most hygienic way to go. At Stepbridge Center, we teach your kid to cough and sneeze into their elbow instead of their hands.

Covid-19
We follow the social measures to fight against Covid-19: we systematically check temperature and use hand sanitizer before entering the classroom.

Toilet Skills
Try to make toileting part of your child’s regular daily routine. For example, encourage your child to use the potty or toilet in the morning, and before or after snacks and meals. At Stepbridge Center we ask your child about going to the toilet when they change activities. For example, we remind your child to go to the toilet before they sit down for a snack.

We welcome the parents and their child before starting school and setting an individualized educational project / program (I.E.P.).
Each program is established together with the child and his family / guardians. An I.E.P. is based on the observations, needs, resources, skills and difficulties of the child, requests of the parents. It settles clear, precise, coherent, appropriate and achievable objectives, means and strategies. It is defined for a period of time – 3 to 6 months, 6 to 12 months -, evaluable and updated according to the progress made by the child. It can concern one or more fields such as learnings, communication and language skills, behavior, social skills, fine motor skills, etc.
We give advice, recommendations, practical exercises to the child´s parents to help them cope with any difficulties encountered with their child. We guide them through their difficulties and requests. We use a communication notebook that we give once a week.
We also give more engaging ‘’homework’’ or suggest tasks and activities to do at home with the child to encourage them and ensure follow-up at home.