CUSTTAD

The CUSTTAD facility in ROYSTON was the first one to be located in a mainstream primary school.  And it would not have been there without the interest and enthusiastic support of Liz Davidson the Head Teacher.  Liz became aware of the work which was going on in the DAY UNIT and was keen to set up a similar facility in her school if she were ever to become a Head Teacher. And to everyone's delight she became one!

There were three main phases to the association between CUSTTAD and ROYSTON. There was the early one during which we set up a facility in a small delightful out of the way room referred to as THE ROOM UP THE STAIRS.

The task of setting up the facility in ROYSTON was made easy because of the abundance of spare wooden units and tables. With some of these and an improvised large sand tray, a home made box on a wooden table with the legs sawn to a suitable length, there was no delay in getting started.  Another delight was being assisted in the setting up by three boys from the school. One them later produced the drawing which became the CUSTTAD logo.

The second phase was on the completion of my work in the CLINIC when the furniture and materials from there were transported to ROYSTON and a new better resourced facility was established. And in the third phase the ROYSTON room became the main CUSTTAD TRAINING BASE until it moved to BURGH PRIMARY SCHOOL in SOUTH LANARKSHIRE.

 Of all that needs to be noted about the entire experience in ROYSTON it would be that many of the practices and procedures which are now integral to the approach were refined and developed there. 

N.B. The similarity in the rooms in the SCHOOL and the CLINIC is well demonstrated in the image on this page.