"Baby Steps" - School Poster Infographic

Name: "Baby Steps" - School Poster Infographic
Brand: Mick Olds, OTR/L
Availability: InStock

"An infographic by @occuplaytional titled 'Old School,' presenting a large multi-column flowchart that contrasts traditional classroom expectations with neurodiversity-affirming alternatives. The top row of the chart presents a sentence describing a traditional classroom model, reading across as: 'Kids at desks, sit silently, without sensory supports, while adult teaches, on adult's directed topic, until adult is done. Then, kids work seated at desks, silently, on written work, that the adult chose, and assigned verbally. Or else be punished — recess removed, writing assigned, etc.' Below each phrase, the chart branches downward through a series of questions and alternative approaches across eleven columns, each addressing a different aspect of the traditional model and offering progressive, neurodivergent-affirming options. The columns cover the following themes: physical environment and seating, including flexible seating options such as yoga balls, beanbags, wobble stools, and outdoor or nature settings; body expectations during instructional time, including options for children to sit in various positions, move around, stim, or use movement equipment; sensory supports, including designated fidget tools, sensory spaces for calming and settling, and separate sensory areas for movement and regulation; how instruction is delivered, from adult-led lectures to group discussion, student-led exploration, and living curriculum where student interest drives learning; what information is presented, ranging from adult-directed topics to content connected to children's interests with adult facilitation; transitions between instruction and independent work, including adult-preemptive break anticipation, child-advocated breaks, and flexible continuation of topics children care about; the environment for independent work, ranging from desks to anywhere in the room, outdoors, or in nature; body expectations during independent work, including options to work with partners, in groups, whispering, or with soft music or white noise; how independent work is demonstrated, expanding writing to include oral responses, video or audio recordings, drawing, dioramas, slideshows, presentations, and AAC; what the independent work will be, offering children choices between topics or assignment options and connecting teaching to personal passions; supports for explaining expectations, including verbal and visual instructions, adult modeling, and a visual model of what finished looks like; and responses when things are not working as expected, contrasting punishment frameworks with collaborative and proactive solutions, prioritizing relationship with all children, and reframing struggling behavior as a communication of need."

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For teachers or educators who are looking to take a baby step toward more freedom, collaboration, or neurodiversity-affirming practice in their classroom. This is a virtual PDF of a poster that you can print.

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By Mick Olds, OTR/L

The goal of using this resource would be to identify a box, a category, an expectation, where you want to take a baby step forward in your classroom…

Contemplate the cloud bubble question and how it relates to the way the expectation takes place in your classroom…
Identify which of the steps below the box and the cloud closest describes where you’re at in your classroom…
And ask yourself whether you could take one baby step forward in that category, from the top of the page toward the bottom of the page. From more adult-demanded, to more collaborative. From more restricted, to more free.

This is a virtual PDF of a poster that you can print.

Mick Olds, OTR/L

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