Karin dom visits Spring Common School
In mid-December a team of 3 specialist from Karin Dom visited Spring Common School in England at the invitation of the school management. The visiting professionals were Zvezdelina Atanasova – trainer and methodologist, Nadezhda Malcheva – speech therapist, and Andreas Andereou – physical therapist.
The visit had a practical orientation. Our team had the opportunity to observe the work in the classrooms, the structuring of the environment and the daily routines, as well as extra-curricular activities and sports. We were delighted to see how skilled and qualified the whole staff was – from the director to the assistants. They all worked with enthusiasm, high spirits and love towards children.
We observed sessions with pupils with complex needs, pupils with autistic spectrum disorders, and others. Students prepared and served lunch for us and presented to us their own cookbook with tested recipes. At the assembly at the end of the week all the children sang, danced and sent Christmas cards for the children from Karin Dom. We joined in the Christmas party of the staff and had fun together.
We admired the good team work at Spring Common School, the application of approaches, such as TEACCH, communication with Switch buttons, Makaton, PECS, Sensory Science, therapy in sensory room and many others. Some of the methods used in the school are unknown to the practices in Bulgaria, though they have proved to have therapeutic effect. This led us to the idea of widening the partnership between Karin Dom and Spring Common School, and presenting these methods to a broader audience of professionals in Bulgaria.
During our visit, the school had a two-day inspection. The inspectors gave an outstanding rating to the management, the individual professionals and assistants, the achievements of the students and to the overall activities at Spring Common school.
We are glad that we had the opportunity to learn from the best!
In June 2012 Mrs Kim Taylor and Mrs Stela Plamenova Kouumdjieff from Spring Common School were our guests at Karin Dom – read more about their visit here.
