Turning Point

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Turning Point

Turning Point is a Resource Center for Children with additional needs. It helps in improving a child’s social skills so they can become socially competent.

Established in 2000 as an Evening program, Turning Point is a Resource Center for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children, Slow Learners, as well as children with Learning Disabilities. Armed with more than a decade long experience in the field of special eduation, Tania Hussain took up this project to literally make this program a “turning point” in the lives of her students. Due to its treme

ndous progress, Turning Point started a 4 hour morning program in January 2008. Morning Program
The morning program caters 20 students currently with a team consisting of a program coordinator, clinical psychologist, speech language pathologist, and 13 special education teachers. Operating on the principle that EVERY child is important and deserves an equal chance to prosper and grow in the world, Turning Point endeavours to provide its children with every possible facility. From language and cognitive development, behaviour modification, fine motor skills, reading, hand writing, self help skills to social interpersonal skills and computer knowledge, the children are given optimal exposure to help them become as self sufficient and functional as possible. They are also given sensory exposure to help them overcome certain sensory issues and sensory motor exercises to increase their focus and attention span. Basic self help skills such as toilet training, eating, dressing and grooming are also taught. Our evening program specializes in rigorous training to help overcome weaknesses, enhance strengths and teach appropriate social interaction. It acts as an extra coaching session for children who do go to school in the morning but need extra help to reinforce learning. At present, their are 18 students enrolled in our evening program whose disabilities range from Autism, Cerebral Palsy, several Learning Disabilities and Language Delay. Many of our students are attending mainstream schools in the morning and come to us for therapy for their specific learning needs. The students have on hour sessions on a one to one basis and work with an IEP constructed for them. Inclusive Education: We also help integrate our students into mainstream schools, and also provide shadow teachers, specifically trained to meet the student’s needs, by constructing and monitoring programs, which enhance the child’s learning experience in a regular mainstream environment. Social Skills: It is a type of behavioural therapy, which can be done on a one to one basis or group setting. Some of the social skills taught are:
• Communication
• Respecting yourself and others
• Participation in work and play activities
• How to make friends

Music Classes: Weekly music classes are conducted with the help of Zarah Auntie who has been kind enough to donate her time to us once a week to motivate and energize the children through music. Different nursery rhymes, movement and rhythm exercises, instrument playing and production of speech sounds to encourage the children to vocalize are some of the highlights on the class. Labor of Love: Art is the greatest form of non verbal communication. The children are given free rein as to what they want to paint or draw, the material and colors they want to use etcetera.

20/07/2024

---Visual Closure and Mathematics---
Studies show we can recognize quantities without counting, thanks to visual closure skills. This ability boosts math performance by reducing cognitive load, making answers seem effortless as the brain processes them subconsciously.

26/06/2024

Visual closure is the ability to visualize a complete picture when given incomplete information or a partial picture. This ability helps children read and comprehend quickly. With visual closure, their eyes don't have to individually process every letter in every word to quickly recognize the word by sight. Additionally, it can help children recognize inferences and predict outcomes. Visual closure reflects a child’s capacity to look at an incomplete shape, object, or amount and fill in the missing details to identify what it would be if it were complete.

12/06/2024

--- VISUAL PERCEPTUAL SKILLS ---

10/06/2024

In the example above, the student cannot form a mental image from the story's context. His visual language is pre-set, so he sees specific images in his mind. If he had a pre-set image to refer to, he could understand the story better. Students with autism need clear preparation for reading comprehension. If these mental images are not available, it is important to create them in advance.

The second picture demonstrates some questions that can help the student form appropriate mental images.

24/05/2024

--- Autistic Empathy ---
Empathy through relating, not empathy through adjusting.

28/04/2024

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Afterschool Reading Club, a project led by our superstars and and hosted at .workshop! Follow us and Leo’s Workshop for more details and how to sign up.

05/04/2024

--- Autism awareness ---

One of the most effective ways to understand individuals with autism is by exploring their interests.

Exploring their interests helps build a connection with them.

It can help regulate their nervous system when external support is needed.

Engaging in their interests activates various parts of their brain, brings sensory calmness, and fosters joy and connection through sharing.

Paraphrased wisdom from

04/04/2024

Toilet Training Tips and Tricks for Your Little One by ! For additional information and resources on toilet training autistic children, visit: https://autismlittlelearners.com/category/toilet-training/ik

03/04/2024

--- Autism Awareness ---
Drawing from 's insights in 'Unmasking Autism', Autism is characterized by a deliberative processing style, which often entails extensive analysis but may also lead to challenges in habituation to familiar stimuli. Despite this, Autistic people demonstrate a remarkable resistance to common cognitive biases, as evidenced by experimental research. For instance, in studies, over 80% of non-autistic individuals tend to err on questions (like the one in the first picture above) requiring careful consideration, opting for intuitive responses that are often incorrect. In contrast, individuals with autism exhibit a tendency to approach tasks methodically, resulting in a higher likelihood of providing accurate answers. This distinct cognitive style highlights the importance of thorough processing over intuitive reasoning and underscores the unique strengths associated with autism.

The correct answer to the question in the first picture is: The ball costs five cents, and the bat costs a dollar more, $1.05, which together adds up to $1.10.

01/04/2024

Autism is linked to distinct and widespread variations in brain function, which result in differences in how an autistic brain filters and makes sense of information. Swipe right to find out about some of the major deviations of an autistic brain from a neurotypical brain. This post is inspired and informed by 'Unmasking Autism' by Dr. Devon Price.

18/03/2024

--- Segmenting ---
Mastering Phonemic Awareness (PA) lets children manipulate sounds within words. Paired with systematic phonics instruction, literacy skills skyrocket.

This method, beneficial for all students, offers explicit decoding strategies. Segmenting is one such strategy – a dynamic intervention boosting phonemic awareness for all learners!

05/03/2024

---Blending---
Phonics blending, offers a consistent strategy for approaching unfamiliar words by combining different sounds to form words. This method helps learners decode long and unfamiliar words, fostering effective reading. At Turning Point, we prioritize integrating blending activities into our teaching of letter sounds for comprehensive literacy development.

01/03/2024

Empower your child’s journey to success! 🚀 Join our Evening Program, specially crafted for kids facing learning challenges. From tailored remedial sessions to academic screenings, we offer a holistic approach to overcome obstacles and enhance skills. Contact us to unlock your child’s full potential! 📚✨

19/02/2024

--- Supporting a Growth Mindset ---
Developing flexible thinking and a growth mindset is crucial for all children, particularly those with special needs, where the process might not occur naturally. Teaching a growth mindset to children with special needs is vital as it empowers them, instilling the realization that they have a degree of control over their thinking patterns. This empowerment is essential for fostering positive and flexible thinking, crucial for building new connections in the brain. While it may require more effort and time, the effectiveness of this approach is significant. Equipped with a growth mindset, children with special needs can better navigate and engage with the world, leading to a decrease in explosive behavior. Teaching them how to communicate their fundamental needs effectively becomes a transformative tool in mitigating challenges that come with explosive emotions and meltdowns, offering them a pathway to improved interaction and coping mechanisms.

01/02/2024

25/01/2024

—— Pre-writing Skills —--

From finger painting to climbing tunnels, a child's journey from strengthening fine motor skills to mastering spatial perception lays the foundation for confident and skillful writing. Learn how these everyday activities pave the way for successful penmanship.

Fine Motor Skills:
In early childhood, children enhance finger muscles through activities like drawing, painting, and playing with playdough.
Pencil Grip:
Once finger muscles strengthen, children learn the tripod grip by holding crayons, chalk, or pencils, crucial for proper pencil control.
Gross Motor Control:
Strong core muscles and good posture are essential for sitting and writing.
Large to Small:
Children naturally progress from large to small tasks. Teaching writing by starting with large-scale activities, like playing with letters or looking at big letters, aids the learning process.
Spatial Perception:
Spatial awareness develops through activities such as climbing through tunnels. This foundation helps children later arrange letters and words correctly on a page.
Learning to Form Patterns:
Before diving into individual letters, formal writing instruction begins with patterns like zigzags and waves. These patterns lay the groundwork for letter formation. For instance, a capital "A" includes a zig-zag, and a "C" can be introduced with a curly wave pattern.

23/01/2024

--- Fun Way to Teach Blending ---
Blending is the ability to join individual sounds (phonemes) together to make a word. Blending sounds together teaches learners how words are sounded out, which will help them to decode long and unfamiliar words when they're reading.

18/01/2024

A successful Occupational Therapy (OT) session includes:

- Incorporating child's preferences to boost motivation.
- Valuing the child's freedom of movement to create a positive therapeutic environment.
- Monitoring the child's enjoyment, which is crucial to assess active participation and learning engagement.
- Educating and involving parents in sessions to promote skill continuity beyond therapy.
- Incorporating activities that involve body movement to target multiple sensory systems.
- Cultivating a strong bond that fosters a sense of safety and co-regulation.

15/01/2024

The interoception system plays a crucial role in interpreting our internal signals, helping us make sense of sensations like hunger, thirst, and fatigue. For many individuals, this process is automatic and unconscious. However, some may face challenges in establishing a clear connection between these bodily signals and their corresponding meanings. Supporting a healthy interoceptive system can begin at home by encouraging body curiosity, verbalizing inner experiences, and validating your child's internal sensations.

20/12/2023

--- Modeling Behavior for our Children, Part 3 ---

Modeling Care, Compassion, and Presence: Shaping Tomorrow's Inclusive and Environmentally Conscious Leaders

Parents can actively engage in creating environments that celebrate differences, whether they be social, economic, physical, emotional, or cognitive. It is crucial for parents to reflect on their own biases, as unresolved or unrecognized biases may be subconsciously passed down to children, influencing their perceptions of the world.
Research indicates that the effectiveness of parents in guiding pet caretaking directly correlates with a child's ability to learn problem-solving skills. Therefore, parents must exemplify caring and responsible behavior toward pets to foster healthy relationships between children and animals.
Parents can instill a sense of responsibility and consciousness by modelling mindful consumer choices. For example, by thinking out loud the harmful effects of choosing a disposable plastic bottle over a refillable one.
Taking the time to put away distractions and genuinely engage with their children sends a powerful message that their thoughts and feelings are valued, fostering a reciprocal understanding of the importance of attentive communication.
What are some of the habits of care and responsibility that you try to model for your kids? We value your feedback! Let us know in the comment below.

16/12/2023

Embrace the winter vibes with us! 🎉 Exciting collab with & for the ultimate Winter Carnival: puppet shows, talent extravaganzas, artsy delights, and endless fun! ❄️✨

04/12/2023

Honored to receive the .o.pakistan award, recognizing Turning Point's dedication to inclusion through unified sports, inclusive leadership, and whole-school engagement.

20/11/2023

--- Transitional Anxiety ---
The slower processing speed and fixed mindsets of young individuals can result in challenges such as refusal, meltdowns, and tantrums during transitions. Whether it's alterations to daily routines or major life changes, these situations can be confusing for children. In the early years, learning is centered around predictability, starting with babies and toddlers repeatedly dropping a toy from their high chair. The predictability of cause and effect teaches them that when one thing happens, another identifiable thing follows.
Transitions pose a challenge because when a preferred activity is underway, young children may resist stopping or changing due to the uncertainty of what will happen next. They may struggle to comprehend the verbal description of the upcoming event, especially if they are in the midst of a meltdown, rendering the words unheard.
The anticipation of an impending transition or change in routine can trigger a limbic response in the child, leading to instinctive fight, flight, or other responses without actual thought.
Early childhood transitions can be particularly challenging for certain children:
Those with communication challenges: Autism, delayed verbal skills, other childhood diagnoses
Individuals with sensory processing challenges
Those with auditory processing considerations
Children of younger age: infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and even kindergarten aged children
Children with experience of previous difficult transitions
Children without a stable home situation
Individuals with executive functioning challenges often face significant difficulties when switching between tasks due to deficits in specific skills.

26/07/2023

3D horse made with recycled material by our students!

18/07/2023

29/06/2023

A heartiest Bakr - Eid Mubarak from us to you.

27/06/2023

Welcome back Champions 🎉

27/06/2023

26/06/2023

Muhammad Luqman, representing Pakistan, achieved a remarkable feat by securing a gold medal in the 100m race at the Special World Games Athletics. He completed the challenging distance in an impressive time of 15.21 seconds. Additionally, Luqman showcased his talent in the long jump event, securing a silver medal with a second-place finish.

Another Pakistani athlete, Mirwaiz, displayed exceptional performance in the 3000m race and clinched a silver medal for his country. Mirwaiz completed the distance in an impressive time of 10 minutes and 11 seconds. With these outstanding achievements, Pakistan's tally of gold medals at the Special Olympics World Games has now reached a total of 9.

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Monday	09:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 18:00
Thursday	09:00 - 18:00
Friday	09:00 - 18:00

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Videos

--- Fun Way to Teach Blending --- Blending is the ability to join individual sounds (phonemes) together to make a word. Blending sounds together teaches learners how words are sounded out, which will help them to decode long and unfamiliar words when they're reading.

——Social Skills Group—— In this social skills group we talk about all things emotions. We begin by engaging our students in a fun activity where they express an emotion using the provided material. Then, we proceed to discuss what triggers that emotion in them. For instance, what makes you happy? These activities not only allow children to experience expressing their emotions in the presence of a safe and empathetic adult but also help them learn how to tolerate and, if possible, empathise with their peers' emotions.

--- Fine Motor Skills --- Our comprehensive program enhances children's handwriting, fine motor skills, and functional abilities. We target key aspects, including in-hand manipulation, separation movements, bilateral integration, hand arch control, and visuomotor skills. These interventions address specific needs, improving precision, dexterity, coordination, strength, and visual-motor coordination.

Audiblox is a Multisensory brain training program that enables learners to overcome learning obstacles and reach their full potential. These brain training exercises strengthens cognitive skills - concentration, perception, memory and logical thinking. Leading to increased performance in reading, spelling, writing, maths and learning. One to one sessions are held by our Expert Therapist with over 10 years of experience. Results are outstanding and speak for themselves. Contact us to boost your child's confidence and overall well being.

---Pushing limits and conquering challenges--- Watch this young dynamo takes on an intense obstacle course while holding a weighted ball. Determination, strength, and endless energy in action!

A heartiest Bakr - Eid Mubarak from us to you.

The Proud Parents 🌟

Big News 🌟

Fruit is nature's candy. Have fruits & vegetables if you want to lead a fruitful life. Happy Fruits Day

The opening of our shop/cafe which will be managed by our children. They will be cooking the snacks whilst managing the running of the shop. So many skills to be learnt- money management, multitasking, time management, effective communication, organizing and planning, decision making and problem solving. Our children are loving it.

To facilitate sensorimotor synchronization we have created a therapeutic method using gentle rhythmic movements that help to develop coordination, emotional stability, muscle tone and primitive reflexes.Through these activities the child is able to process vestibular, proprioceptive, visual, auditory and tactile experiences simultaneously.