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New Jersey school hosts Thanksgiving meal for autistic and developmentally disabled students
Durand School teachers and staff in Woodbury, New Jersey hosted its annual Thanksgiving meal for autistic and developmentally disabled students 5 to 21 years old, FOX 29's Chris O'Connell gets the inside scoop.
WOODBURY, N.j. - Teachers and faculty at a school in Woodbury, New Jersey host their annual Thanksgiving meal, feeding 70 students.
Durand School in Woodbury, New Jersey is a school for autistic and developmentally disabled students ages five to 21 years old.
FOX 29’s Chris O’Connell spoke with the principal, a teacher and a couple of students about the annual event.
Thanks to the thoughtfulness of the teachers and staff, the meal is not only a chance to get the students together for the holiday, but it’s designed to also be somewhat of a classroom for them.
"We are working on paced feeding, we are not stuffing, that we’re not eating things off of other people's plates," said Kate Usher, Durand School’s Occupational Therapist.
For many of the children, Thanksgiving can be a challenging holiday from food and noise sensitivity to lots of lights and crowds.
This Thanksgiving dinner helps students overcome some of those stressful challenges that will ultimately help their own families enjoy the holiday season.
"A lot of our students have sensory aversions," said Jennifer Amoroso, Durand School Principal. "They don’t like the food they are serving at Thanksgiving..they have a hard time sitting down at the table. If they can do it here they can do it home with their families, so families can take time to enjoy each other than teaching their child how to engage in an appropriate meal."