Visits to JFK School in Straford

15/10/05
JFK School is for children with severe learning difficulties. There are only two students there with autism although the school seems o be fully equipped and stuffed to teach them. Their MSE (Multi Sensory Environment) room is well known to be vary advanced, recently built. I found it to be a rather 80's design in technological terms and it does not seem to consider usability and comfort factors

20/10/05
This was the opportunity to see the MSE room in action as the first time. Although the two pupils were severally disable but not autistic, it was interesting to see their interactions with the various sensory devices. (There actually was not much of it, none of them seemed to be able to have any consciencious control or realise what they were actually doing) Cathy the teacher anwered a few questions. She things that MSE room may help only a little and mainly with motivation. The room has several installations among those are controlable lights that work by touch and sound control connected by lead. She said it supposed to help with cognitive functions, making object connections and should be apart of a structured and controlled system based on repetition. Carefull, slow and gradual exposure is necessary to reduce and overcome tactile defensivenessMax. 3 pupils should be on each sessions but one to one time is preferable.
Cathy kindly offered help with visiting a lesson after half term with Rob who specialises in tutoring Autistic pupils.
- The various control switches that operate the different devices are located in an outside room. It is an inconvenient arrangement in every way. the teacher must leave the pupils alone in the internal room to operate these outside. It is time and energy consuming as well as unsafe. (Perhaps asking Bill Gates for help? :o) Eveything in his house is wired to a computer to be fully automatic and remotely controllable.