Bruce Strouts
Bruce Strouts is an experienced therapist, specialising in child and adolescent mental health. As the Therapy Assistant at LVS Oxford, Bruce supports teachers in class, helps with PE lessons and outdoor learning.
His role is to help the children successfully access the curriculum, by encouraging them to develop new techniques and learn additional skills. From tying shoelaces to better hand-eye co-ordination, Bruce assists students with their fine motor skills, as well as their ability to work as a member of a team and learn Life Skills, a school programme designed to get the students ready for their next step.
“LVS Oxford is a really positive and well-resourced school environment.”
As part of the programme, Bruce might take the children on shopping trips, getting them to interact with shopkeepers and other customers, and learning about money management. Other school trips include visits to Hazard Alley, a local and specialist centre with tools that shows children how to make safe choices. “It teaches them how to identify hazards and how to keep safe, including how to make an emergency phone call.”
Bruce says: “LVS Oxford is a really positive and well-resourced school environment. While some of our students may have struggled with sensory overload within a mainstream school setting, here the small classes and expert staff help maintain a calm environment, conducive to learning. It’s the real benefit of a school like this. The staff here understand what autism is.”
The amazing facilities, which includes the spectacular garden and outdoor areas, including an outdoor gym, are a valuable space for giving the children the freedom to move; students are given ‘movement breaks’ from class to help remain engaged and focused in lesson.
Bruce also takes a weekly PE class, where he will focus on hand-eye co-ordination and motor skills, and helps them be more self-sufficient, for example, by learning how to tie their own shoelaces. “In class, therapy will also work on posture and techniques to help the students be able to focus, from sitting on a wobble cushion to using fidget items. Other skills might be as simple as getting them to take turns.”
The horticultural area is good to support the students with sensory awareness and processing, says Bruce. “A child might become anxious when exposed to something new. Helping them by describing the activity first, to prepare them for any task ahead, reduces their anxiety. So, if we’re in the garden and planning to pot up some plants, for instance, we will talk about the texture of the soil,” says Bruce, adding that LVS Oxford offers a wide variety of opportunities, including work experience and visits to local businesses, including the Chef Raymond Blanc’s famous restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.