Shanghai Pudong Special School
During our visit to the Shanghai Pudong Special School, we got to witness first hand how classes are conducted and how the school is organized. The school is, in fact, split between two buildings, one in front of the other. Each room has a different purpose; a different skill is taught in different settings. Kids are to develop a happy and healthy lifestyle. The professor who was directing the visit explained how the system is organized. Indeed, the kids go through 3 distinct phases in which they learn how to navigate life. The first phase is the one where they have to learn how to take care of themselves; from using the metro to reading and listening to music and so on. The second phase is one in which they learn domestic life as in how to shower, how to tidy up one’s room or how to navigate a house. The last phase is the communicative phase. Children also get to learn how to cook and get to, if the professional level is attained, go to the cooking special schools. As for activities, they all get to go to a gym and play sports to learn how to keep balance and use their bodies. One of the things they learn is how to hit a ball for example, how to jump or how to run. The professors and professional therapists are very patient, cheerful, encouraging and calm. We got to witness a 1-on-1 therapy in which the therapists were recording the session and taking notes. The kid got to do many exercises where he was learning how to use his feet, how to relax and use his strength. The therapist was also teaching him how to coordinate movements, keep balance, use both hands and feet at the same time. She of course showed him the movements before he had to perform them. At the end, he was asked at the end to put the material in its place, perhaps to develop a sense of responsibility. Even though alternating between movements on the right and left foot was hard, the kid managed to do it after many tries. Additionally, they also have access to a playroom in which they get to interact with objects and each other. They even have a garden in which they learn to grow plants and flowers. At the end we also got to see a music class in which they got to clap hands, match words to right sentences, recognize characters of the Opera and their roles.