Overview of the Education Programms at The Hutton House

The Hutton House is a place where people with developmental needs can attend for a variety of programs. They have programs for fitness, adult education, artworks, daybreak and life works. The Hutton House does service a thousand different individuals that have developmental disabilities. These programs are offered to their clients to build up their independence and allow the clients to feel a bit more self sufficient. They are a registered charity who benefit from the many volunteers that support these programs.

Over 2017-2018 The Hutton house had 111 volunteers that gave over 5,529 hours of service. Every volunteer makes a great impact within The Hutton House. The Hutton House has major funders such as adult education and Ontario Works, Ontario South West Local Health Integration Network, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Employment and social Development Canada, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and the Tames Valley District School Board.

The Fitness Program that The Hutton House offers an accessible, warm welcoming environment where people with physical, learning, developmental or mental health disabilities can participate and learn how to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Clients of The Hutton House can participate in the special Olympics. If the special Olympics is not what the client would like to do there are many other options for them. The Hutton House does offer different memberships for different monetary values. They have a basic gym membership that allows clients to have their fitness evaluated, obtain a personalized workout plan, and supervised exercise to assist with each individual.

If the client is looking for something a little more advanced, they may obtain a fitness class membership. This membership includes interactive classes that has circuit and sports training, yoga and Pilates, dancing and jazzercise. This membership only runs from ten to twelve weeks. The fitness program also offers a nutrition class membership. These classes teach clients to microwave their meals and muscle up with a snack. These classes are ten to twelve weeks. If the client is a senior citizen and not looking for a monetary valued membership, they do offer the free senior fitness and wellness classes. These classes run from January to October every year. This includes things such as boxing, total body workouts and bands for balance.

The Adult Education programs offered by The Hutton House will provide an opportunity to improve the client’s reading, writing, math and computer skills. Currently there is a waitlist for the private tutor. The education programs will teach their clients to read things like their menus at restaurants, recipes, Schedules, maps, signs and understanding what you are reading. The clients will be taught to write things such as letters, notes and proper spelling. This allows the clients to be able to be a bit more independent. The clients will learn how to write letters and notes. As well as, journals, poems, essays and proper spelling.

There are a wide variety of opportunities in learning math. A part of having some independency the Adult Education teaches their clients things such as, budgeting, money skills, telling time and they will be taught how to use a calculator. Computer skills are very important in todays day. Microsoft applications, using the internet, emailing, typing and using an IPad, are many things that are taught in the computer program offered under the Adult Education program. This can help their clients with their self-esteem, enhance employment opportunities and offer an improved ability to access and understand community services.

Artworks is offered to The Hutton House’s clients to allow them to engage in the universal language. The clients will be to network while making new friends within the community. Access their creative side by exploring their artistic skills and self-expression. The clients will be able to improve their decision making and communication skills. For the Artworks program the client would have to be eighteen years of age or older. Artworks runs Monday to Fridays throughout four separate semesters. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter all offer a semester.

Within each semester there are different classes and activities available. The Artworks program offers their clients an opportunity to suggest things they would like to see either as a class or as an activity. They offer theater troupe, singing, guitar, pottery and bowling. The Artworks also offers song writing and music, community performance and art therapy. They also offer their clients separated classes for only men and only women. These are referred to as the men’s group or the ladies’ club. This is to ensure that everyone feels safe and included.

Daybreak is a program The Hutton House offers to young adults. This program will allow individuals to more involved within the community. Daybreak offers therapeutic, social and educational opportunities. This program does have a waitlist because it is so popular. There are some requirements in order to qualify for this program. The client must be living at home with parents or with caregivers within the London or Middlesex County. The client must also require round the clock support due to either a physical, cognitive, or intellectual disability and are no longer eligible for educational support.

They must be a minimum age of eighteen years old. If the client meets all these qualifications and is offered a spot in the Daybreak program the client may attend Daybreak up o twenty hours a week. The Daybreak objectives are to promote lifelong learning, personal wellness and develop life and daily living skills. This is accomplished by the many activities Daybreak offers. Activities such as fitness and exercise, messages, and sensory stimulus. Here they will learn things such as computer and communication skills, literacy, and crafts. The clients will develop friendships and peer support while gaining opportunities to volunteer and participate in community events. For the clients daily living skills, the Daybreak program offers cooking and nutrition, personal care, healthy living, laundry and personal safety. All of these activities are taught in a casual home like setting to make the clients more familiarized with their own home.

Lifeworks is a program that promotes independence and personal growth in a fun environment. Lifeworks teaches their clients values such as, tolerance, trust, caring and sharing. The Lifeworks program also teaches daily living skills to their clients. Writing, cooking, social and communication skills are the daily living skills taught. Skills are taught to the client to ensure they live safely and independently. The clients get to explore the community with their staff members and do things like, movie trips, apple picking, and attending parades.

Clients will also benefit from the program teaching them how to shop for themselves, organize their time and learning about other cultures. The clients must be eighteen years of age or older to attend these classes and need a membership ranging from one-hundred and fifty dollars to seven-hundred and thirty-five dollars. The Lifeworks program does offer a six-week trial period to ensure the program choice does meet the clients needs, and they can benefit from the activities. After the trial period there will be a meeting held with the client and their family to discus if the placement is a fit for the client and if it should continue. Progress reports will be handed to the clients family to identify how well the individual is succeeding.