IN SIERRA LEONE
JPOH is a special education school in Sierra Leone that offers individuals with autism and other special needs, a secure, protected, and inclusive environment that promotes independence.
We offer the following services:
Academics
We have trained teachers that support our students academically according to their abilities.
Nutrition
In Sierra Leone, most individuals with special needs cannot afford a daily balanced, healthy meal. You may see them roaming the streets and begging for food. Because of this, JPOH provides healthy and balanced meals that include whole grains, vegetables and fruits, for breakfast and lunch, and also provides snacks. Some of these individuals are unable to feed themselves, and this can lead to malnutrition, and poor health. To help combat this, JPOH assists with feeding, appropriate use of utensils, and proper hand washing before eating, and after using the bathroom.
We also have a clinical dietician in the United States who gives inservice to our staff on the different challenges that children with special needs face. She is always available to answer questions that our staff may have.
There is also a trained staff that works with the students daily.
Assistance with activities of daily living
Sierra Leone has a high rate of Typhoid. Typhoid is transmitted by ingesting contaminated food or drinks. JPOH makes sure our clients are taught proper hand washing techniques, and good personal hygiene, including bathing, brushing their teeth, washing their uniforms, cleaning their shoes, and wearing clean clothes. We also teach them to identity clean versus unclean food, and to recognize clean drinks, not just by their looks, but by their source. We also teach functional skills.
Recreational activities
We have music and dancing, games, arts and crafts, painting and coloring. In the future we will have field trips to expose our students to community activities.
Health and fitness
We have a health clinic on the premises where we provide basic health assessment and education, including blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks and sensitization on health maintenance and disease prevention. Clients and their families are educated on proper medication handling and administration, including appropriate hand washing. We also have daily exercise programs that are tailored to each individuals need.
IN USA
We assist immigrant families of African descent on how to navigate the system to get services for their kids. We also offer emotional support by sharing our story of how our family was able to overcome the stigma surrounding kids with autism and other special needs in our community. We do video meetings with parents with autistic kids and assist them with functional skills.
We also do community education and sensitization on Autism and other special needs.
