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Teach Me Too – Preschoolers with Learning Needs in Austin

Lutheran Special Education Ministries

$100,000

View mission grant resources below.
nullThis is Jackson, our first preschool graduate! You can see by his big smile how happy he is! We're so proud of the successes of Let It Shine.
nullN is playing with her doll and put the noise canceling head phones on the doll. The noise canceling headphones are used to help kids who are sensitive to increased noise. The headphones allow kids to remain in high volume social solutions and still participate.
 

Lutheran Special Education Ministries (LSEM) has seen a growing desire for early intervention support of children with learning needs. In 1976 LSEM began serving children with special learning needs in the Detroit area and has since expanded programs and services to include a presence in Lutheran schools nationwide. Their pilot program is Let It Shine Academy at Bethany Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas. The Teach Me Too program was designed to administer intervention strategies, address the unique needs of children with autism spectrum disorder and other unique needs such as hyperactivity issues, decreased or delayed social skills, developmental or speech delays, sensory integration difficulties, or other learning differences. As a resource for families, this program provides assessments, consultations, and materials to help children on an individual basis. This grant would help fund Teach Me Too, expand the Let It Shine Academy, provide teacher training, and offer scholarship funding for children whose families cannot afford the cost of the Let It Shine Program. 

WHEREAS, in Luke 18:16 Jesus called children to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."; and
WHEREAS, national statistics indicate that one in five children in the United States has a learning need, one in 68 has autism, and that early intervention is shown as being key to long-term academic, social, and behavioral success; and
WHEREAS, reaching out to these children and their families in their time of need is an opportunity to witness to them of God's love and salvation for ALL his children; and
WHEREAS, Lutheran Special Education Ministries' commitment to serving children, their families, schools, churches and the community has been evident for over 140 years; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the delegates gathered at the 2019 Lutheran Women's Missionary League Convention in Mobile, Alabama, vote the sum of $100,000 to help fund Teach Me Too - Preschoolers with Learning Needs.

nullL is participating in the Let It Shine camp during the summer.
Stretch-n-Grow facilitated movement and coordination through obstacle courses. They promote healthy habits at an early age. L is wearing a weighted vest to give more awareness to his body and help him stay on task.
nullIn this picture, L is in a swing in the sensory room. This swing helps children calm and become regulated, allowing the child to better attend throughout the day. It also helps children learn where their body is in space.
nullJ is playing a large drum during music time. He is learning to share the drum with a peer and teacher while incorporating both of his hands to promote his coordination skills. 
nullJ is playing in the sensory room. The sensory room is an area of the school where the children can get movement throughout the day as well as specialized therapy to promote learning, body awareness, and overall function.
nullN is participating in bilateral and fine motor tasks. She is using her arms to propel a scooterboard forward then pinching and placing a clip. At Let It Shine, the children participate in developmentally appropriate tasks to promote the necessary motor skills for writing and drawing.

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