COVID-19 UPDATES

The Golden Key Center for Exceptional Children still is following the guidelines provided to schools by Akron Children’s Hospital School Health and Canton Health Department. Temperature taking, handwashing, and optional masks continue to be our protocols. Any person entering the building with COVID-like symptoms and/or at-home exposure are asked to remain home.

LEGO® Building Buddies

What is Building Buddies?

Golden Key School Lego Building BuddiesLEGO®-based therapy is an evidence-based therapy that allows children to work together to assemble LEGO® models using collaborative play.

Our students work in teams. Each member of the team is assigned a different, authentic role. Those roles help teach joint attention, collaboration, sharing, joint accomplishment, a division of labor, turn-taking, gaze following and verbal/non-verbal communication skills. Each student team is coached by an instructor.

But at it’s heart, LEGO® therapy is a peer-to-peer program that allows students to work together to accomplish a goal.

Basic Principles

Golden Key School Lego Building Buddies

  • LEGO®-based therapy uses a skill-building approach. Kids are engaged mentally and physically.
  • LEGO®-based therapy focuses on the reward of completing a task as a motivational aspect of constructive play.
  • LEGO®-based therapy is a collaborative process between the students in a group. Teachers support and guide the process but the students are tasked with solving problems and creating solutions together.

How Does it Work

Golden Key School Lego Building Buddies

Building Buddies is a progressive program that grows with children as they learn. Our students participate in two different levels. Level One students meet twice a week and Level Two meet once a week.

Every student starts out in Level One, lasting 6 weeks. After the initial 6 weeks, progressive sessions are based on ability as the students move through the different skill levels of building, design, and creation.

Results

Golden Key School Lego Building Buddies
Initial assessments are showing a marked improvement in the student’s ability to work together, to share and to understand roles. An unexpected component has been the growth of friendships!

In other LEGO® therapy programs held around the county, studies have assessed the benefits of LEGO® therapy in three measures of social competence: self-initiated social contact, duration of social interaction and reduction in “stereotyped” behaviors. Each of these three measures showed significant gains.

More Information

Want to learn how you can incorporate LEGO® therapy for your child? More information is here below, or just give us a call to learn more about enrollment, class sessions, start times or more.

Scheduled Dates

To be announced.

Enrollment Costs

$120 for 6-week session.

Payment is required at the time of registering.

Registration

Contact Jodi Woolf at jwoolf@goldenkeyschool.com or 330-493.4400 to register.

Golden Key LEGO Logo

LEGO®, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations are the trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this program.

Google Classroom

Google Classroom

The Golden Key utilizes the Google Classroom as its technology platform.

This HIPPA compliant and secure program allows for our students to have access to the appropriate education if a remote school is put in place. Each classroom is designated its own link to allow for teachers, therapist and intervention specialist to connect with families.

Please see your student’s teacher to receive the appropriate Google Classroom Link and your student’s Golden Key Email.

Note: A Golden Key Email address is required for each student at The Golden Key.

Private Tuition Payments

The Golden Key Center for Exceptional Children Inc., provides various programs that are not covered by the Ohio Choice Scholarships. Payments for these services are made via Tuition Express®. Please follow the link to set up your personal Tuition Express payment account.