Meet Ashley, a special education teacher at Nettingham Middle School, who visits our Y once a month with her students to help teach them life skills

Ashley joined the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District in February 2020, and this is her second year working in a self-contained classroom at Nettingham. She works with a specific population of students across various grade spans. “I absolutely love it,” she says. “All my students are so unique and have different needs and interests that inspire them.”

As part of her work, Ashley helps prepare her students for the future. Since December, they have been coming to our Y each month for life skills lessons and to interact with our staff and members in a community-based setting. They practice greeting people when they are walking through our building and then participate in activities like cooking and obstacle courses designed for them. The program is led by our Y’s Senior Program Director Jennifer Donahue.

“Some of the students need extra assistance to say ‘hello’ and this space gives them the opportunity to practice out in the community,” Ashley explains. In cooking, they have been working on the skill of spreading – for example, spreading butter on bread for grilled cheese – which is an occupational therapy task that is important in preparing meals and helps work on the back and forth motion while grasping the cutlery. The obstacle courses assist with their physical skills and work on balance and coordination. Activities also help with their sensory skills, whether it’s crawling through an obstacle course, or trying a new food with a different texture.

“Coming to the Y provides them with the opportunity to practice their skills in a controlled environment,” Ashley explains. “It helps them build their confidence and social skills, and it’s also a place of comfort because some of the kids come here for activities outside of school.”

She adds, “The students look forward to coming. They are excited and light up when talking about it to other adults in the building. They get a sense of accomplishment and a sense of ownership by participating in these tasks. They feel like, yes, I can do this.