This approach is seen in schools across the world, and Treetop aims to take its principles to create a supportive and nurturing learning environment for both children and parents. The principles that are incorporated into Treetop are:
- The Image of the Child: The Therapist respects each and every child and understands that each child will learn in different ways. Children are also given some control over their learning environment.
- Therapists as Facilitators: The Therapist facilitates learning by planning activities that are based on the child’s interests and actively engages in the activities alongside the child.
- Parent and family involvement: parents and other family members are a vital component of the therapy process.
- Community Involvement: Each child is seen as part of a community and therefore close collaboration between therapists and other professionals involved with the child is extremely important. Therapists also aim to think of creative ways to aid generalization of skills learnt from the therapy centre to daily life and therefore incorporate activities that aim to do so.
- Learning from the Environment: Careful organization of the learning environment is important and therefore therapists aim to create one in which optimal learning can take place, using materials from nature and everyday resources.