Project Potential is an in home support service for the families of children with intellectual conditions and learning delays. Operating primarily within Adelaide’s Western suburbs, this uniquely targeted educational service will deliver an engaging and individualised program tailored especially for your child’s unique needs. We offer a range of hands on activities, including community access excursions and in home respite. Our interactive lessons focus on literacy, communication, AAC, positive behaviour support, problem solving, and reasoning abilities. This approach incorporates an increase in life skills and generalisation within daily life. Session times are extremely flexible, allowing for last minute cancellations, pupil free day care, public holidays, after hours support, and school pick ups.
We work with students of varying ages from 5 years old to 30 years old as once school ends often these individuals options become limited as far as further education and work options. Along with catering for those with special needs, mainstream and home schooled student are encouraged to take part as a way to boost their knowledge through our targeted methods. Siblings and additional family members are also welcome.
- Supporting children with special needs, intellectual disabilities and learning delays
- Academic and real world enhancement
- Literacy and communication
- Positive behaviour support
- Community access
Our vision at PPA is to provide a service to our students that is built upon three pillars.
- We aim to provide a service that allows lifelong learning regardless of the student’s age or ability.
- We encourage students to undertake trial-and-error experimentation of their skills in a safe space with a caring community.
- We aim to educate students how to use self-regulation techniques to improve their mental wellbeing.
Community
Our mission at Project Potential Adelaide is to prevent this vulnerable minority group from becoming further disadvantaged. To achieve this, we charge 10% below the NDIS price guide as this allows the students to access our services more frequently without going through all their NDIS allocated funding too quickly.
To facilitate students growth PPA work with the students’ team that consists of family members, teachers, doctors, therapists, and other government agencies to provide an environment that focuses of developing their social and life skills in a safe environment as well as the community to set them up to be able to participate as a community citizen
We are not only getting this cohort out there to engage in citizen participation, but a large part of what we do is exposing the public to what our cohort has to offer. By exposing the public to other walks of life, we are promoting an inclusive community by breaking down stigmas. Together we are assisting to promote those who have additional challenges in our community.
Encompassing the United Nations SDGs
As a grassroots social enterprise, our policies operate within an ethical framework. Both our workplace practice and student programs reflect values of promoting responsible global citizenship. This integration strategy encourages ethical decision making in our immediate community and within the new generation.
#3 Good Health & Wellbeing
The health and wellbeing of our students are of paramount importance to our organisation. Feelings of anxiety, discomfort and marginisalisation are a frequent experiences amongst those with ASD. The ability to connect to the world without barriers, to feel safe and welcome, are experiences many may take for granted. In collaboration with the students support team, we integrate the following aims into our curriculum with aspirations these aspects will become a fixture in the student’s life.
#4 Quality Education
What happens to young people with ASD when they leave school?
Generally, a plateauing of their educational development. PPA aims to bridge the gap between school and the wider world. We help maintain links to educational goals and work towards broadening student experiences beyond childhood. PPA has the goal of generalising skills for real world application so students can be as autonomous and self sufficient as possible. By using positive behaviour support and conditioning methodology, we negate the effect of negative behaviors while also encouraging positive, functional behaviors.
#8 Decent Work & Economic Growth
As a grassroots social enterprise, profit is not the central goal. Positive community outcomes are at the fore front of our minds when making decisions. Our responsibility is not only to our students but to the community at large. PPA prioritises supporting local businesses, local artists and other community starts ups. Not only does it support economic growth, but it affirms our belief that as a community we grow together.
#10 Reduced Inequalities
Limited funding from NDIS is the cause of much frustration amongst many families. In order to reduce the impact of inequity for people with disabilities, Project Potential Adelaide early on in our history committed to delivering services at 17% below the industry standard rate. Inequality exists in educational opportunities available to people living with ASD. To combat this, we have developed an expansive curriculum that is tailored to all abilities by challenging our students to broaden their capabilities. This includes skills and excursions not typically taught in schools.
#12 Responsible Consumption & Production
Students in the PPA program are guided to consume responsibly as part of their education in becoming conscientious global citizens. As a way to impart knowledge we lead by example. Upcycling, recycling and reusing are typical practices that we follow in order in sourcing resources for our students. We conduct a variety of activities centering around ethical consumption, carbon footprint awareness and green alternatives. Our environmentally conscious curriculum is set to encourage planet friendly actions in our students through bottle recycling, plastic waste awareness and use of public transport.