Etobicoke school launches breakfast club for students with special needs

TORONTO-  At Seneca Public School in the west end of the city, breakfast is all about communication and social skills.

“I think given the clients that we service make it unique. I mean our goals here are beyond just a nutritional start to the day. Were looking at students being able to have a functional means of communication and for our students that could mean looking to communicate through an eye gaze, or looking through a picture symbol exchange, or using their voice output devices,” said Principal of Seneca Public School Stuart Garner.

Seneca is a small self-contained site for students with special needs. Most of the students here are non-verbal so the breakfast club is all about improving that.

The program has been running for eight years now, and fully supported by the staff at the school who volunteer to serve the food each morning. Some staff give up their personal time organize the daily meal and shop for supplies.

“Everything’s done according to the Canadian food guide and as well as with our dietician. Everybody gets a piece of breakfast club no matter what your disability, no matter what issues you have with eating or texture, it’s for everybody,” said Shannon Gibney, part of the support staff at Seneca Public School.

Students in the program request food items on the daily menu using pictures.

“It gives them that opportunity to socialize, it gives them opportunity to communicate, that’s one of our goals. We want our students graduating with that means of communicating.” said Garner.

The students learn extremely important skills that extend beyond the school walls into the community.

“If their parents or caregivers want to take them to a restaurant or a social setting, the kids have the right knowledge and have the skills to sit, to listen, and to have patience, and to do choice making,” said Gibney.

This program is funded by Food Share, Toronto Foundation for Student Success and community donors. For more than eight years, the staff have been washing dishes by hand, and are in need of a dishwasher.