A short outline of the organisation and area of work.

School Complex No. 6 in Rybnik educates young people (15-24 years) with a registered disability. It offers education in a general secondary, vocational and life preparatory school.

Depending on the type of school, type and degree of disability, the school offers education in the following areas: gardening, carpentry, bricklaying, tailoring, handicrafts, office work, printing and cleaning work and general education ending with the national examination.

As part of additional support classes, pupils of all school types benefit from therapeutic treatments. A wide range of therapies considerably facilitates the functioning of the young people: physical rehabilitation, corrective gymnastics, music therapy with sound massage, hippotherapy, art therapy with activities in the ceramics studio, speech therapy, Biofeedback therapy, Tomatis therapy, Warnke therapy, Sensory Integration therapy, W. Sherborne improvement classes, stimulation of the senses in the world experience room.

Biofeedback – a therapy in the field of mind-body medicine, which uses electronic apparatus to help the patient become aware of and control the physiological processes of his or her own body (e.g. managing emotions, improving thinking processes, fast learning, memory) . In the EEG Biofeedback method  (electroencephalography-brain activity testing), the person undergoing training participates in various types of computer games (e.g. City Trip – drive the planned route as quickly as possible; Farm – planting, watering and harvesting plants) controlled only by his or her own mind (without using a keyboard or mouse). This helps a learner to improve concentration span, relaxation and memorisation.

Tomatis therapy – also known as auditory attention training or audio-psycho-linguistic training. The main aim of the training is to improve the auditory function, thus improving attention, the quality of learning, improving language and communication functions, enhancing motivation, creativity and pro-social behaviour. Only children with registered disabilities who had undergone multidisciplinary assessment of the pupil’s level of functioning done by teachers and specialists (psychologist, educationalist, therapist, doctor) are sent to such a therapy.

The Warnke method – a modern method of therapy for reading and writing  disorders. In this method, we use a medical diagnostic apparatus – the Brain-Boy.

The Brain Boy has the appearance of a toy, but is at the same time a fully professional training tool. The child trains a total of eight central hearing, vision and motor functions in a playful manner with very good results (basic function training). Eight training sessions of varying degrees of difficulty are available, adapted to the user’s abilities.

The main aim of the method is the training of the disturbed functions of the central processing, undertaken in order to automate them. The second aim is that good cooperation of both brain hemispheres enables better processing of information.

Similarly to Thomatis therapy, Only children with registered disabilities who had undergone tests done by teachers and specialists (psychologist, educationalist, therapist, doctor) are sent to such a therapy.

The method can be used by other schools if they have a therapist qualified in it.

Sensory integration therapy is referred to as ‘scientific play’. During sessions, the child swings in a hammock, rolls in a barrel, rides a skateboard or balances on a cradle. By making play fun and interesting for the child, the integration of sensory stimuli and experiences flowing into the central nervous system is achieved, which allows for better organisation of activities.  Through this method the therapist stimulates the child’s senses and improves areas such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills and eye-hand coordination.

The aim of the W. Sherborne method is to achieve inner peace, self-awareness, relaxation, and also to develop mutual contacts and communication through exercises – so-called expressive gymnastics. During the exercises, the participant has the opportunity to learn more and more about his/her body and its possibilities, which influences motor improvement, development of small and large motor skills. Veronica Sherborne’s Developmental Movement also serves to develop spatial awareness.

Context of study

The classes are implemented as part of the ‘My First Job’ programme. which aims to prepare young people for various social roles (e.g. an employee, a subordinate, a parent) and for them to acquire new skills that will enable them to function independently in society and work in adulthood.

Ceramics workshops are one of the elements of art therapy. The therapeutic activities have a compensatory role, they trigger creative activity, compensate for deficits and psycho-physical limitations. Creative contact with art is a very important link in the rehabilitation process. It brings with it the joy of creation. The aim of the ceramics workshop is not to create a beautiful work of art, but to convince the student that he or she is capable of doing “something”.

Handicraft skills prepare young people with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities, among others, for an independent and active adult life and work. Thanks to these skills, they can take up jobs in social cooperatives, which are sometimes the last chance for those who would find it difficult to find their way in the labour market due to their disabilities.

Scope of the study.

The therapeutic activities in the ceramics workshop are open to all students as part of additional support classes, but are mainly aimed at students with learning disabilities and those on the autism spectrum. Active participation in art therapy positively influences the emotional, motor, cognitive and social development of people with disabilities. This leads to: manual facilitation, development of eye-hand coordination, increased attention span, increase in one’s own creativity, reduction of nervous tensions, calming and tranquillity, stimulation and development of imagination, release of accumulated emotions, acceptance of oneself and others, strengthening the sense of self-control and security.

Classes are held in groups of 5 students. Two therapists supervise the activities and the safety of the pupils.

What took place

During the classes, students make small decorative items and utilitarian objects from clay. The workshop has its own ceramic kiln and potter’s wheel. The classes are held in a relaxed atmosphere and improve the students’ manual skills.

We had the opportunity to observe young people with intellectual disabilities during classes in the ceramics workshop and to participate in the workshops ourselves.

The work and its effects are shown in the photos below.

Outcomes

Through active participation in art therapy, a number of positive changes in students’ functioning occur.

• manual improvement,
• developing eye-hand coordination,
• extending the attention span,
• compensating for deficits and psycho-physical limitations,
• personality development,
• increasing one’s own creativity,
• lowering nervous tension, calming down and quieting down,
• expressing themselves more fully and freely,
• stimulating and developing the imagination,
• releasing of accumulated emotions,
• activating non-verbal communication,
• non-verbal communication,
• externalising the world of one’s own experiences and feelings,
• satisfying the needs of acceptance, safety, participation, being understood and appreciated,
• stimulating sensory-multisensory perception of the world,
• getting to know others and thus changing the way they see their problems,
• accepting themselves and others,
• strengthening the sense of empowerment and security,
• increased self-knowledge and self-acceptance.

In addition, the therapeutic activities result in beautiful decorative items and useful objects. They are exhibited and sold during charity events on the school premises and in the city of Rybnik.

Quotes and Endorsements

• ‘Thanks to the kindness of the management, teachers, therapists from ZS No. 6, we had the opportunity to learn about their work, experience in educational and therapeutic work ‘- ZSB teacher
• ‘Creating objects in clay is extremely calming’ – project participant
• ‘I like the classes with Ms Wiesia and Mr Mark’ – student

Key Messages

1. Let ‘clay’ use its therapeutic power to have fun, relax and calm down.
2. Encourage students to invent their own clay projects.
3. Remember to be patient and ready to get dirty.