The Animation Curriculum
The Animation Curriculum is a strengths based, multi-sensory educational intervention, originally designed as an inclusive approach to learning for those with suspected or diagnosed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), who are educated in mainstream settings. It is a framework through which educators can deliver curriculum content, with an approach that not only supports the needs of those with FASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions, but highlights their strengths amongst their peers. Developed from over a decade of research and lived experience by Dr Jessica Rutherford, we have recently completed a small pilot study where The Animation Curriculum was delivered in two primary schools, one in England and one in Canada.
Teachers provided highly positive and encouraging feedback on The Animation Curriculum, and reported that the children with FASD and the rest of the class were highly engaged. We are now preparing to apply for further funding to run The Animation Curriculum in a larger number of schools. It is hoped that this will lead to improvements in student engagement, knowledge retention, and children’s behavioural and emotional functioning, especially in students with FASD, but also in students with other additional needs as well as their typically developing peers.
Quotes from teachers
“I thought it was animation, but what they’ve actually got from it is far more than what I first imagined.”
“I wasn’t dealing with behaviours constantly.”
“It was super easy, very minimal planning.”
“It was just lovely to see the impact that it had on the children communicating with each other, sharing ideas”
“This was up there with the most engaging content that kids can have”
The pilot study was conducted by Dr Jessica Rutherford and Dr Alan Price, and was made possible by a generous donation from The Mohapatra Family Foundation.