AN academy for children with specialist educational needs is swinging into action to help fund the refurbishment of a new therapy room.

Members of staff and students at Hope Wood Academy, Easington, part of the Ascent Academies Trust, are aiming to raise thousands of pounds to adapt a former photocopier room into a state-of-the-art specialist occupational therapy suite.

The academy, is a specialist school which supports learning for students aged from two to 19 with severe and complex needs.

Paediatric occupational therapist Lynn Mitchell, of Future Steps Consultancy, Darlington, said: “The room will be used for sensory integration to help children who find it difficult to concentrate in lessons develop their central nervous system to be able to process information better.

“Children with autism can experience sensory overload and become de-regulated, the therapy sessions, such as bouncing on a ball, swinging, or exercising in a ball pit, can help to calm and re-regulate them so they get to a position where learning is not such a challenge.”

Maryan Wales, mother of six-year-old Hope Wood Academy student Tia, is supporting the school in its fundraising efforts.

“Tia has autism with noise and sleeping disorders and is especially affected by loud noise and high pitched voices,” she said.

“On a morning she can become quite distressed with all the noise at school but after using the therapy room it really calms her down.

“It’s great that the academy now has a designated room but it really does need a major refurbishment to continue to help to support Tia and other students at the school.”