CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

MUSIC

Rockin’ Music

Wii will, Wii will Rock You! Facilitated by a board-certified music therapist, this class uses the latest music technology games (Wii Music, Guitar Hero, and Garage Band) as tools to help children improve their social and communication skills. Students interact with each other while tapping into their inner rock star, and may also share and discuss songs, participate in songwriting, and share their opinions as the stand-in judges for “American Idol.” A low student- to- teacher ratio will ensure individualized attention and support.

Cabaret Class

Move over Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers! In a series of individual sessions with a board certified music therapist, your child will select a song from a movie or musical, discuss it in various contexts, and prepare it for a live performance.  Kids will develop their vocal skills while working to understand the social and emotional underpinning of the song lyrics.  The 12-week program will culminate in a cabaret show that will showcase our budding singers for family and friends.

Music & Art Class

In this hands-on class facilitated by a board-certified music therapist, your child will participate in singing, dancing, improvisation, and playing instruments. All musical experiences will be child-guided, and oriented towards building age-appropriate cognitive, communication, motor, and social skills. Music time will be followed by a themed-based creative art project. A low student to teacher ratio will ensure individualized attention and support.

Little Ones Music Play (birth – 3)

Facilitated by a board-certified music therapist, this program provides opportunities for infants, toddlers, and their caregivers to participate in developmentally appropriate music and movement experiences. Designed to target developmental milestones as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, these playgroups will help infants and toddlers develop language, motor, and cognitive skills through interactive music activities, using the Walworth Curriculum.

Social Skills

Social Sports-Basketball

Play ball! There is no better forum to learn social skills than through sports. And learning the basics of a sport will help a child have a more positive experience with his playground peers. Led by a special education teacher, the focus of this class will be on developing playground skills, self confidence, team building, turn taking, and communication with teammates.  Students will be taught how to keep their cool and be a good sport when losing. Each six week session will focus on a particular sport.

Basketball Talk (ages 12 and up)

Play ball! There is no better forum to learn social skills than through sports. And learning the basics of a sport will help a child have a more positive experience with his playground peers. Led by a special education teacher, the focus of this class will be on developing playground skills, self confidence, team building, turn taking, and communication with teammates.  Students will be taught how to keep their cool and be a good sport when losing. Each six week session will focus on a particular sport.

Social Skills (grouped according to ability and age)

Led by 2 certified special education teachers (Master Degrees in Autism), our social skills groups will promote taking initiative in conversation, peer interaction, participation in games and activities, the ability to follow the rules of a game, being able to follow directions, building and maintaining friendships, adapting to transitions, and making choices. Most importantly, your child will have a great time! The lessons are based on the key building blocks to social skill development, as defined by the ABLLS-R (The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills, Revised). Our low student to teacher ratio will ensure individualized attention and support, and typically developing peers are included in each group.

Story/Craft  

This class pairs a theme-based story with a craft, and focuses on building social skills, listening skills and fine motor skills. Previous themes have included: Back-to-School, Halloween, Thanksgiving and more!

Art
Art, in all forms, promotes self-discovery, fine motor practice, self-expression and verbalization. It involves sensory awareness while supporting emotional awareness and expression without the need for language. Led by an Occupational Therapist, our arts and crafts class will include the use of multi-sensory techniques and a variety of media. Through interesting and fun projects, students will increase their visual motor and fine motor skills, their ability to follow directions, and their social skills.

Sports and Athletics

Yoga

Stretch your child's body and mind with yoga! Led by a physical therapist and an occupational therapist, this program addresses many important aspects of a child's life, including: flexibility, strength, creativity, focus, attention span, self-esteem, relaxation, general well-being, awareness and respect for self and others. Yoga classes include play and music along with traditional yoga and relaxation techniques. The pace of the class will be tailored to your child’s physical , attention, and sensory needs. A low student to teacher ratio will ensure individualized attention and support.

Karate

This is an ideal introduction to the martial arts! Your child will Increase his flexibility and strength, while building self-discipline, character, and focus. This non-contact karate class allows students to focus on fun and personal growth, as they learn basic karate moves from a professional martial arts instructor. Karate uniform included. A low student to teacher ratio will ensure individualized attention and support.

TEEN PROGRAMS

Monthly Teen Night

Parents…run for the hills! This is your chance to have a few hours to yourself while your teen has a blast with his peers and The Pilot House team! Our monthly teen nights take place at our facility and include pizza, snacks, a movie, and more!

Community Teen Events

Our teen community events give each teen an opportunity to go into the community in a small group and participate in a variety of activities. These outings promote the daily living skills, social skills, and academic skills that we all need to successfully navigate our community. Past events have included miniature golf and a trip to Broadway to see the hit musical “Mamma Mia!” Round-trip transportation to and from The Pilot House is included in the program fee.

Cooking and Baking

Cooking

BAM! Is the next Emeril Lagasse or Rachel Ray living under your roof? Have your child grab an apron and find out! Our exciting cooking class teaches social skills, life skills, and—of course—the basics of cooking in our full kitchen. Our students have so much fun they don’t even realize that they are learning. Classes center around ethnic themes (Italian, Mexican, etc.) and students will learn about the versatility of key ingredients. For example, dough is not just for pizza, but for bread, pasta, and quiche!

Baking

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake…Cowboy Cookies…Cheese Danish Roll-Ups.  Sound tempting? Sign your child up for our baking class and these recipes and more will make their way into your home. Students will have a blast as they learn the basics of baking in our full kitchen. So much fun, in fact, that they won’t even realize they are simultaneously working on social skills and life skills. As they say, a spoonful of sugar…or flour…or baking powder will help the medicine go down!

Dance and Drama

Dance

Discover ways to bend, jump, stretch, and leap to the beat of music! Dancing is a fun way to work on developing a child’s self-esteem, body awareness, coordination, and balance. This class will introduce your child to several styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, and hip-hop. Students will learn basic steps and enjoy expressing themselves through music.

Drama

Broadway…here we come! Budding actors of all abilities will be jazzed by The Pilot House’s Drama Program. During this X week program, students will work together to put on a live performance for family and friends. Scripts, choreography, and songs are adapted to meet each child’s individual needs, and each production incorporates sets and costumes. Our past productions have included “High School Musical”, Scenes from “Annie” and “Oliver”, and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Occupational and Physical Therapy/Motor Groups

Writing Group

Led by an Occupational Therapist, this class addresses postural skills, self-management skills, visual perceptual skills, and fine motor issues, as well as the individual handwriting concerns for each child. We will also focus on letter formation, legibility, and consistency, as well as organizational skills.

Visual Perceptual  Group

If a child has visual perceptual weaknesses, his or her brain has difficulty interpreting information taken in through the eyes. This is different from problems involving sight or sharpness of vision. Visual perceptual weaknesses can have both educational and social implications—fortunately there are interventions that work. Led by an Occupational Therapist, our visual perceptual group is designed to help children increase their visual perceptual and visual motor skills.

Play Group

Play Groups are frequently recommended as an effective treatment strategy. Like a typical play group, our class includes circle time, arts and crafts, sensory, free play, and snack. Your child will increase his or her social and play skills while practicing fine motor and gross motor skills. This two-hour session is run by an Occupational Therapist along with other professional staff (Speech/Language Pathologist, Physical Therapist or Music Therapist).

Sensory Motor Group

Facilitated by an Occupational Therapist or a Physical Therapist, this class addresses the sensory motor issues of children with special needs and will help them work on their personal motor and sensory needs in a small group setting.

Oral Motor Feeding

When eating doesn’t come easily, a specialized feeding program can be life-changing for children and their families. Run by an Occupational Therapist, our Oral Motor Feeding Program provides a comprehensive, family-centered approach to the assessment and treatment of children with feeding and/or swallowing difficulties. The sessions will focus on gross motor skills, sensory concerns, cooking/making a snack, and oral motor and eating strategies.