Sensory Toys and Therapeutic Classrooms by Bree Williams

West Mobile Academy (WMA) is a day treatment program in Mobile, AL. It is housed inside the BayPointe Hospital (the only children’s psychiatric hospital in Alabama). WMA partners with Mobile County Public School System as well as Chickasaw, Saraland, and Satsuma City School Systems. WMA provides a therapeutic classroom setting as well as a structured day treatment setting for elementary to high school students. Most of the students receive special education services and are unable to maintain appropriate behaviors in public schools.

With the GKSEI seed grant, I purchased an assortment of sensory items to be used in therapy sessions, as well as when a consumer enters a crisis. Consumers can earn tickets and purchase sensory toys from the ticket store. I am turning one of the time-out rooms into a sensory room. My expectation is that these items can strengthen my consumer’s ability to regulate their emotions (i.e., Gandhi and King’s focus was on non- violence, peace, and conflict resolution).

I hope to help future leaders to be resilient and overcome obstacles in their way. Mental illness and behavioral problems should not define a person or confine them. Children are the future, and I want to provide them with as many tools as possible to succeed in life. I also want my consumers to be able to advocate for themselves and can ask for what they need before they need it.