Rugeley School believes therapy has an essential role in helping our young people to overcome barriers to learning and reach their potential. We have a dedicated therapy room where our young people can access the following therapeutic support:
- Access to a Speech and Language Therapist
- Access to an Occupational Therapist
- Access to a Counselling Psychologist, where required
For those of our pupils who have therapeutic intervention written into their Statement or EHCP, we ensure they have dedicated time with the relevant school therapist.
Using physical exercise to manage behaviours associated with autism
Central to the Rugeley philosophy is participation in regular physical activity. We actively encourage pupils to get involved in activities throughout the school day, whether it be rollerblading at lunchtime or small-scale physical breaks in the classroom between learning activities.
Evidence shows that this enables our young people to disperse excess energy, therefore helping them to gain the emotional and physical composure and increased self-awareness necessary to be good learners. Additional benefits of this approach include:
- Decreased frequency of negative self-stimulatory behaviours
- Decreased aggression and self-injurous behaviours
- Increased attention span
- Improved motor-function
- Improved receptiveness to the development of desirable learning behaviours
- Improved proprioception and functioning of the vestibular system
- Improved self-awareness and well-being
- Improved tolerance of environmental complexity
