"Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day. Such is the salutation to the dawn."
V-Excel News
Our Founder-Director Dr. Vasudha Prakash was interviewed on one of the popular channels in South India - Jaya TV.
The program focused on role of counseling and various therapies like play therapy, hypnotherapy, etc. for addressing
special needs. Calls flowed in from the general public in this regard and these were answered on a case-to-case basis.
Dr. Vasudha also presented a capsule on Relationship Management in today’s context at two different Rotary Clubs
in Chennai. The talk was well received and generated a lot of interest among the Rotarians.
The National Trust of India had organized a workshop on Organizational Development Capability Building in SPASTN
Chennai from 19-21 January 2010. Two of our senior team members, Mrs. B. Sundari and Mrs. Ajita Panshikar, participated
in this interactive and application-oriented program.
Kaleisdoscope Learning Centre
A foot massage workshop was held on 30th January and was attended by teachers from all departments. They were given a
brief theoretical background, followed by a demonstration and later a supervised practical session by John Miller and
Cameron Walker.
The study group was inaugurated on 28th January and about five teachers have begun to read ‘The Twelve Senses’ as an
introduction to Steiner education. We hope that more teachers will join this valuable sharing and learning.
‘Horton Hears A Who’ has finally taken shape and is now ready to roll on the floor! We now see the children performing
independently and accompanying the sound track with their own sound effects. The training has been intense and the learning
far exceeding that which would have taken place through traditional methods of class room teaching. Today, every child from
the kindergarten to the prevocational set know the travails of Horton and the essence of good winning over bad in some
way! That’s a lot of learning!
We were visited by a team of teachers who are planning to start an International Waldorf inspired school in Chennai
(Injambakkam) and wanted to see how we had set up our classes. Our Kindergarten has been revamped after the input from
the December workshop and has become more of a home with the drapes and bed and kitchen. Visitors were fairly impressed
by the quality of dedication and work put in by the staff.
Academy for Teacher Excellence
The New Year 2010 has started off well for the trainees at ATE. They began the month with the completion of their
first case study. It was followed by compiling of all relevant paper work. Despite the difficulties, the trainees managed
to effectively prepare their files.
This month, the trainees had a two day lecture on Behaviour Management conducted by Mrs. Prema.G. Her sessions provided
the trainees with an idea of how behaviours are classified, how they have to be addressed and worked on. She enlightened
them on some of the behaviour management techniques not just for children with autism but for children with different
special needs. They also learnt how to formulate lessons for the same. Indeed the sessions were useful to them.
After Pongal, the trainees started off with their second case study. The second case study called for better planning
and execution of lessons as they had gained some experience and some knowledge of interventions.
On one of the Fridays this month, the trainees had some fun and unwinding. They watched the movie, 'Three Idiots'
together and enjoyed it a lot. They also had lunch together. It was truly relaxing and joyful to spend time this way once
in a while in between the hectic course work.
Early Intervention Unit
The focus of intervention in January has been on identifying children who can start attending school from the forthcoming
academic year. Our Early intervention program thus worked towards facilitating children towards school readiness skills.
Intervention for the children in the age group of 5-6 included fine skill training, improving writing skills, improving
independence in functional skills. The fine skill training is incorporated along with sensory integration facilitation and
sensory play.
Review of home programs was done for all the children while parent review was on home training aspects as well.
Bridges Learning Academy
January seems to have sped past very rapidly, partly due to the fact that there was a spate of holidays during this
month. Another reason was that the students and staff have been fully engaged in continuous practice for the forthcoming
annual day celebrations.
There is no doubt that our students have a wide variety of talents and this will be showcased on that occasion. A
remarkable feature this year is that all the children have memorized the entire script and this helps them to pitch in
for one another as and when the need arises. Kudos to our children!
V-Excel Remedial Centre
To greet the New Year, a small party was arranged wherein all students had good fun dancing and playing games. They
also enjoyed eating together. A rocking dance performance was given by one of our students, Shankaran. Students were
gifted with water colors and crayon colors to ring in this year as the most colorful!
Parents’ meeting was organized to get the feedback from the parents on the program and to make them aware of the strategies
of VRC. Dr. Vasudha explained to them the program that is being followed for their children and also answered all the
queries raised by the parents.
Another one of the in-service program series was conducted with John. This session on foot massage was based on
anthroposophy with a view to enhance the knowledge base of all the teachers.
Rural Outreach Program
Our Managing Trustee and Director visited our Villipuram project for evaluation and for familiarizing one of our
foreign volunteers to the Occupational Therapy and Resource Room concept in rural areas. They also went to Kallakuruchi
taluk to meet some school principals and gauge the availability of special services.
This month, they traveled further down south to Tirunelveli and observed that there is a dearth of special needs
education and other allied services. Teacher training, counseling, remedial services are all areas where there is a lot
of potential work to do.
Vocational Training Unit
We are good at celebrations, learning the fun way.
On January 4th, the whole unit went to Dakshina Chitra. We enjoyed the North-East Festival. Their dance and
the drums were so moving that Ashutosh, who normally gets very excited when he sees a drum, remained seated with tears
flowing on his cheeks. All the students tried their hand at painting, wheel – pottery etc.
On January 13th we celebrated Pongal with big Kolams, sugarcane and traditional pot boiling over with sweet Pongal.
Everyone danced Gummi around the Kolam. Needless to mention, the day ended with everyone enjoying sweet Pongal! The
significant event was that V.Charanya was able to tell her family all the details and connect well with the celebration.
January 24th: Two of our staff attended a workshop on Natural Dyes at Dakshina Chitra. They emphasized on how eco-friendly,
inexpensive products attract high–end customers.
We are all busy practicing for the Annual Day. Our experience shows that field trips and celebrations form a very
important part of learning. They work on an inner level, giving freedom (from unrealistic expectations) and healing (of
stress related problems). This kind of growth results in children talking more, talking relevant speech, being less shy
and more confident, taking initiative.
Counseling and Assessment Unit
The consultations during which we see children have become more comprehensive and we draw up a plan keeping the
child’s overall development in mind rather than just focusing on their difficulties.
After the Art therapy and biography workshop there has been a distinctive change in our counseling process. Now we
try to understand the biography when we meet parents for counseling and even in our other clinical cases. This, along with
art therapy, has made counseling inputs really rich. We have seen a warm response to this Anthroposophical approach of
counseling.
Contact Info :: India:
V-Excel Educational Trust
#1 Norton 2nd Street
Mandaveli Chennai 600 028
Tel: 91 - 44 - 24620243
91 - 44 – 24956373 E-mail us or visit us at www.v-excel.org
Contact Info :: USA:
Academic Concepts, Inc.
1403 Merrywood Drive
Edison, NJ 08817
Tel: (732) 572-3748
Tax ID: 22-3632715 E-mail us
Volunteer Info:
Volunteers are an integral part of our success. Our most pressing needs are in the areas of occupational and speech therapies, and
as teacher aides. We also require assistance in library management.
If you have any of these and are interested in volunteering at V-Excel, please contact us.
India Autism: Trying Tradition
In India, old ideas are giving new options to treating autism. Liz Neisloss reports on that country's approach.
An Austrian - Rudolf Steiner, founded the philosophy of Anthroposophical Medicine in the early 1900's. Steiner's aim
was to complement and develop medicine as it existed, rather than set up an alternative system. Together with Dr
Ita Wegman, he developed his ideas to include a medical science, as well as his own principle of polarity.
1. Spirit manifests both within the human organism and outside of it in the substances of the kingdoms of nature.
2. The wisdom that created nature is also at work within the human being.
3. Anthroposophical Medicine is a leading holistic health movement throughout Europe and has been on the cutting edge of
preserving therapeutic freedom in the public and legal realm.
4. Man has a divinely guided individual destiny, which includes individual freedom with the potential for error and illness.
5. Art is an indispensable part of human life. Out of Anthroposophical Medicine, specialized disciplines of Therapeutic
Eurythmy, Rhythmical Massage, clay modeling, painting and music therapy have evolved.
6. Remedies are derived from substances of the mineral, plant or animal kingdom. They can be prepared homeopathically,
alchemically or as whole substance. They can be given orally, by injection or through external application.
7. Every treatment aims to enhance the life force of the patient as an axis for improved health and deepened self-knowledge.
An anthroposophical doctor will ask questions about diet, lifestyle and constitution, with an emphasis on the body's
rhythms - eating, sleeping and menstrual patterns. The doctor may also carry out standard medical tests, and will use
the information to aid diagnosis, prescribing treatment to balance the poles and systems regulating the body.
Practitioners are fully qualified doctors, who make use of modern technology and medication as required - they consider
that this approach gives them a fuller picture of an individual, allowing them to take a broader view of illness and therapy.
Because Anthroposophical Medicine is a holistic system, aimed at harmonizing elements of the spiritual, as well as the
physical self, it is said by its followers to be of benefit in cases where a conventional cure cannot be achieved.
