In addition to enhancing academic learning and progress, The Vine International School aims at helping our pupils grows into functional individuals in the society. Our holistic educational approach includes therapies that aim at achieving this objective. This holistic approach also helps with increasing positive behaviours.

There is a difference between Speech and Language. An individual may be affected by one or both.

                 Speech Therapy

Speech is how we make sounds which altogether make a word. It is in general, how we say words.

Speech includes:

Voice: How we use our vocal cords and breath to make sounds. our voice can be soft or loud, low or high-pitched.

Articulation: How we make sounds using our mouth, lips, tongue and relevant muscles to articulate correctly. For instance, some children may struggle with articulating / l / and would instead say / n / or would say / w / instead of / r /.

Fluency: How we pace our talking. This is the rhythm of speech. 

Speech therapy is therefore working on difficulties related to the above. 

                  Language Therapy

Language refers to the words we use either alone or in a sentence to communicate with others.

Language includes:

Meaning: How we understand that words have a meaning in a particular context and use them accordingly.

Syntax: How we arrange and order words to make sentences or phrases.

Vocabulary bank: How we are able to use different words or expressions to express the same. 

Receptive Language: How we understand what others say.

Expressive Language: How we use language to communicate with others.

Language therapy is therefore working on difficulties related to the above. 

Gross and fine motor skills are important in the development of children. They enable children to learn about their world, learn to make their own choices and grow in independence and self-confidence. 

                Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills refer to the ability to control large body movements that involve large muscle groups, including core stability and posture. Gross motor skills are necessary for body movements such as crawling, standing, walking, running, rolling, pushing, pulling, sitting.

Gross motor skills therapy is therefore working on difficulties to perform the movements mentioned above. 

    Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills involve the use of the small muscles in the hands and fingers. Fine motor skills are necessary for grasping, picking and holding objects, writing, colouring, using scissors to cut, tying shoelaces, fastening buttons, self-feeding…

Many of these skills are required for self-care and for participating in school and home activities.

Fine motor skills therapy is therefore working on difficulties to perform the activities mentioned above. 

The principle behind behaviour therapy is to help pupils learn positive behaviours to override or minimise unwanted or maladaptive behaviours. As well as the behaviour itself, we look at the thoughts, feelings and any trigger that lead to the behaviour. We also look at the thoughts and feelings that occur as a result of the behaviour.

We use different strategies to foster positive behaviours. Our strategies include Applied Behaviour Analysis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Social Learning theory and Modelling.

Functional skills are the skills that are required to perform daily life activities. If a child can’t perform certain skills themselves, someone else, like a parent, will have to attend to these needs for them. However, the habit of facilitating situations may cause more delay.

At the Vine International School our holistic approach to education include helping our pupils develop functional skills such as toileting, self-care, decision-making, safety-understanding, socialising, hygiene, self-feeding, dressing, sensory processing, tidying up, sweeping, washing-up, crossing a road, buying something at the shop, cooking, baking.

Developing such skills help children discover their abilities and grow in independence.