Brooklyn Kindergarten Society advocating for increased funding for sensory gyms
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — The Brooklyn Kindergarten Society (BKS) is advocating for increased funding for sensory gyms and occupational therapists in Brooklyn schools, particularly targeting early childhood education programs for children ages 3-8 with learning differences.
“They’re not going to be behind, and we do feel that first educational step is important,” says John Linder, the Director of Development with BKS. The organization’s mission is centered on ensuring all children have an “equal first step in their education.”
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Linder is pushing for more resources in this area, explaining, “We absolutely need more funding, the salaries aren’t cheap, building out the space is not cheap, wear and tear on equipment isn’t cheap, we have to replace things regularly. We want to continue to keep the gym at its cutting-edge innovation.”
Currently, six out of BKS’s seven centers do not have a sensory gym – a specialized space with a variety of fun, manipulative activities that allow students to explore through their senses. Linder says a new sensory gym in Brownsville would expand their reach.
“Having an additional sensory gym would allow us to expand our work, and potentially allow us to start to serve some of our siblings of our students,” he says.
Linder emphasizes that these targeted services are essential interventions to support students in regaining the academic ground lost due to the disruptions of COVID-19. “Coming out of COVID is, this has been an important tool for students to advance and learn,” he says.
Occupational therapists like Colleen O’Neill are making a difference with creative solutions. She emphasizes the importance of starting intervention as early as possible.
“With our OT budget I created a sensory box for every classroom,” O’Neill shares. “If we do early intervention and support them very young then they’ll have those skills to generalize for the rest of their lives.”
As the city faces decisions on how to allocate new funds, the restoration of 3K and pre-K funding is likely a top priority. But the question remains: Are programs that support the unique needs of young children with learning differences being considered as well?
The Department of Education has presented a range of existing programs and highlighted a new pilot initiative, but the fight for increased resources continues
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