Every Moment Counts is a mental health promotion initiative developed to help all children and youth become mentally healthy in order to succeed in school, at home and in the community.
Children go to the cafeteria every school day for lunch and to socialize with friends. Many students look forward to lunchtime, but for some students, lunch in the cafeteria is not a good experience. The Comfortable Cafeteria program aims to help all students enjoy lunchtime more by creating a positive atmosphere which encourages positive mental health in students.
What is the program?
Comfortable Cafeteria is a six week long program that helps give lunchroom staff and students the knowledge needed to foster a positive atmosphere in the lunchroom through six weekly themed education days during a six week period of time. The six weekly themes are, kickoff, friendship, conversations, including others, sensory input, and healthy foods. All participants learn about these topics through interactive programs.
Who implements the program?
The program was designed by occupational therapists, however, it is implemented through the collaboration of many individuals including, cafeteria supervisors, parent volunteers, teachers, therapists, schools nurses, school psychologists, school counselors, and many more.
Benefits of the Program
Many schools have implemented this program and have seen numerous benefits during the implementation and after. Children came away from the program with more knowledge of acceptance of peers, knowledge on how to build friendships and communicate with others, and how to make healthy.
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Tag Archives: Strategies
Behavior Management Strategies
Now that the holidays are over, children may need a few reminders on how to interact in a positive way during therapy sessions, in the classroom, or at home when doing homework. Try reflecting on what behavior management strategies worked during the first half of the year and if there are new ones you may want to implement. Below are some strategies that can help prevent problematic behaviors before they start to make it a great homework, therapy, or classroom session for everyone!
1. Set therapy rules and make them known at the beginning of each sessio
n. Post a list of “class rules” along with pictures so students know what is expected. The rules can be positive statements like, “we will raise our hand when we want to speak,” and “we will listen to the teacher and follow directions”. Keep in mind that some students may not know what it means to “listen to the teacher”. Social Thinking has a great visual called “Listening Larry” which teaches students what “Whole Body Listening” looks like. To learn more about this and to purchase the poster, visit https://www.socialthinking.com/Products/Whole%20Body%20Listening%20Poster
2. At the beginning of a session provide students a visual schedule of what will happen in therapy that day. This way students see what is coming next and when the session will end. You can create these on smart boards,.
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n. Post a list of “class rules” along with pictures so students know what is expected. The rules can be positive statements like, “we will raise our hand when we want to speak,” and “we will listen to the teacher and follow directions”. Keep in mind that some students may not know what it means to “listen to the teacher”. Social Thinking has a great visual called “Listening Larry” which teaches students what “Whole Body Listening” looks like. To learn more about this and to purchase the poster, visit https://www.socialthinking.com/Products/Whole%20Body%20Listening%20Poster
2. At the beginning of a session provide students a visual schedule of what will happen in therapy that day. This way students see what is coming next and when the session will end. You can create these on smart boards,.