One warm Thursday afternoon, Mama Teddy (name changed) walked into the reception at Blooming Tots Kindergarten with tears in her eyes. Her son, Teddy, had just been denied admission at two schools she had visited. The reason? Teddy is autistic.
Feeling rejected and disheartened, she shared her story with our school administrator, hoping against hope that her child would finally be accepted somewhere. At Blooming Tots, she found not just a place for Teddy — she found acceptance and a home. Today, Teddy is thriving in all areas of his development.
Teddy’s admission marked the beginning of a transformative journey at Blooming Tots Kindergarten — a journey toward inclusive education for all children, especially those with special needs and learning difficulties. His presence inspired our teachers to seek further training, conduct in-depth research, and create a nurturing and stimulating environment tailored to the needs of every learner.
In response, the school invested in continuous professional development for its educators, engaging experts from the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) and certified Special Needs Education professionals.
Two years into this journey, a pediatrician from a nearby town began to notice significant developmental improvements in her young patients who attended school at Blooming Tots Kindergarten. She began referring more families to us. This momentum eventually led to a pivotal meeting with Dr. Kihara of Malaika Pediatrics. That meeting birthed a lasting partnership, offering essential support and therapeutic interventions to our learners with diverse needs and developmental delays.
Our school now embraces an integrated learning approach, where all children learn together. This model encourages peer-to-peer interaction and incorporates differentiated activities tailored to various learning styles. On board this programme we have a Special Needs Education Teacher and an Occupational Therapist, providing individual therapy sessions right within the school setting. Recently, with a growing number of learners experiencing speech delays, our partnership has expanded to include a comprehensive speech therapy program. This initiative helps children improve their verbal, nonverbal, and social communication skills in a familiar and supportive environment.
We understand that without timely and targeted interventions, children are at an increased risk of facing more challenges in their physical, social, and academic development. These challenges may manifest as tantrums, behavioral issues, frustration, social anxiety, or difficulty gaining independence.
As we celebrate the big and small milestones of our young champions, we pause to extend special recognition to a group of unsung heroes — the parents of our children with special needs / who are abled differently.
To these incredible parents in our Blooming Tots Kindergarten abled Differently community:
We thank you for your unwavering support, knowledge sharing, patience, and love. You are doing an amazing job! Please know that we see you, we hear you, and we walk this journey with you. Stay consistent, stay hopeful — life is a marathon, not a sprint.
See you this Saturday 24th May for a catch up session! – 9am- 11.30am.