Strides Newsletter Archives
- Counseling & Assessments
- Early Intervention
- Kaleidoscope Learning Center
- V-Excel Educational Trust
- Occupational Therapy
- V-Excel Remedial Center
- Satellite Centers
- Vocational Training / Youth Empowerment Services
Counseling & Assessments
From Parimal Pandit's Desk
We had our annual day on 9th of April and till then everyone was very busy helping in making props and other Annual Day preparations. Puja, our psychologist, was mainly involved in directing and creating the play The Lion King while the rest of the team was involved creating backdrops.
It was a great achievement to have 100 plus children and trainees on the stage to enact this great story. All the actors completely internalised the roles they played.
On 11th all of us attended the townhall meeting which was followed by the Annual Unit Head's Meet.
The rest of the month our regular counselling for external clients continued along with consultations for admissions or for remedial sessions. We had four counselling desks for two of our corporates. We had year-end meetings to plan for next year and review this year. Looking at the rising demands from the internal as well expansions outside, there will some structural changes made to ensure to that services continue smoothly.
Many of the children continued to come for art and healing therapies even after school closed. There may be an addition of couple of projects next year and we are working towards getting them streamlined.
Early Intervention
From Lalitha Sridhar's Desk
Oral Motor Activities
It is an integral part of sensory programme of a child. It helps in increasing oral awareness and decreasing oral sensitivity thereby helping the child explore different varieties of food, facilitate the ability to bite and chew, and to exercise the oral muscles which enhance speech. Simple oral motor activities are as follows.
- Learning to drink from a straw - Sucking is a calming and organizing activity that requires closure of lips, lip strength and the ability to hold the jaw in position. It also uses cheek muscles, helps breathing and promotes good posture.
- Learning to blow – Blowing facilitates lip closure, respiration and breath support for speech jaw stability and grading. It develops muscles of the tongue, cheek, jaw and lips and as well as organize sensory motor system.
- Learning to chew – Children with PDD have poor sensory awareness of mouth, and low muscle tone, both of which make chewing difficult. All mouth activities will be more successful if the child is in comfortable and secure position. Make sure his or her feet are suspended and the table is at elbow height.
- Keeping mouths busy – Oral motor input is necessary for the organization of the nervous system. It also helps in regulating attention and mood.
- Learning to keep your chin dry – Children with PDD may drool because of sensory processing problem and incomplete lip closure, decreased sensitivity in the mouth and decreased tactile sensation of wet versus dry. Therefore it is important to keep chin dry.
Kaleidoscope Learning Center
From Gita Bhalla's Desk
The annual day countdown which had begun at the end of March culminated in the final show on the 9 of April 2017. This year the professional approach to the annual day moved up several notches with a save the date, trailer and then a few announcements in the local papers preceded the actual function. The Lion King was finally brought alive amidst shouts and cheers and distinctly heard a few sniffles too! On the 9 of April in Narada Gana Sabha, V-Excel once more moved the audience to tears, had the viewers applaud the performances of our children with challenges and saluted the teachers who seamlessly fitted in with all the scenes and gently guided or prodded or let the students take centre stage as the case might have been. We have received rave reviews from parents, guests, people if the community, children from different schools which I am sure can be presented in another column.
As the euphoria of the Lion King receded, fever of another kind began. The teachers were completing their dossiers on each child as an offering to the parents . The annual report was finally given out on the 13th of April. Teachers attended the Town Hall meeting on the 11 of April and the 13 was the last day for the students. Each child was presented with their annual report which contained details of their vocations, their therapy inputs. Parents got a bird's eye view on the entire years work as teachers had included photographs and the years curriculum was attached with their reports. Children who received extra lessons in music and play and art therapy had additional reports. It is interesting to note that every year the children in KLC learn upto ten new songs, and are exposed to at least three new vocational skills.
Abhishek Sanyal did us proud by getting selected for his art work which was displayed in AFA , Delhi in their annual art exhibition. Abhishek a student of grade 7 had recently learnt how to use charcoal as a medium of art and had made a few beautiful pieces of art. His painting entitled Rendezvous, was the prize winning entry. Congratulations Abhishek and his teachers, Latha, Babita and his therapist Puja. His parents took him to Delhi for the exhibition.
V-Excel Educational Trust
World Autism Day
To celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, the Disha Parents Forum of V-Excel conducted a rally in R.A. Puram on April 2. Parents and children wore blue to express solidarity and support to this universal cause.
The Magic of Theatre
In a lead-up to our Annual Day, the News Minute ran a feature on how theatre could help children with special needs learn, get perspective, break boundaries, and expand their possibilities.
The full article is available on this link When a school raises a Lion King: How the 'magic' of theatre helps autistic children
FICCI FLO Awards
Mrs. Lalitha Sridhar, Director of our Early Intervention programs in the South, received the FICCI FLO Women Achievers Award (2017) - Outstanding Woman Professional (Social Sector). The awards were held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Chennai on Monday, April 10, 2017.
Princess Haya Award for Special Education (PHASE)
At the sixth Princess Haya Award for Special Education (PHASE) held yesterday at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, Dr. Vasudha Prakash was conferred the Distinguished Board Member Award under the Outstanding Management Category
The Lion King
A small selection of the numerous congratulatory messages that were received following our staging of the Lion King ..
" ... yes did feel the all the different emotions that were portrayed in stage. there was tightness in the air during the hyena dance. A great celebrating lightness when Simba was held high. a curious much much during the Simba nala dance .. a confused air in hakuna matata... fear during the hyena fight and the stampede... a sudden waft I lightness whenever zazu came in and a very calming air giving comfort when rafikis came in...great wear the pathos when kutti Simba says help...anybody...this alternating energies emnated from the cast.... In my 47 years of theatre going ...something similar to this that personally I have experienced only is in one of Cho Ramaswamy's Tamil satire...muhamad bin tuqlak. Hats off to the children. Hats off to the production ..I bow to the learning we have got from this.. feel humbled by the divine thts envelopes us all."
"Brilliant performance by the kids. Hats off to all of you." .. Sumi
"Hey. I enjoyed the whole presentation... Wonderful. Cant express my joy in words on seeing the children perform.... Just lovely." ..Monali Bala
"My brother in law said if you'd called some complete outsiders no one would've known it's by a special school. It was all so professional Amazing performance by Team V Excel. Beautiful handmade props; wonderful coordination. Hats off!" .. Sudha Athmaraj founder Arvind foundation
"India alavukku ovvoru child panni irrukku n.a.... oru oru teacher evvalavu work panni irrupanga!!! Romba nalladu anal Romba kashtam." Shanthi Vtu Sreyes ...about teachers of KLC and those that trained YES too. Every year annual day of v-excel grows in leaps and sets a benchmark... This time with Lion King and the teasers and promos. .. Vrc parent Million pranaam to all the teacher's, volunteers , staff and all those who tirelessly worked to make the children perform. You are all divine in human form. May lord almighty shower you all with abundance of energy and enthusiasm and happiness to replicate this many many times. Pranaam." .. Bala
"What a memorable experience it was for us ! I was holding back tears thinking what parents of these kids must feel like to see them perform so brilliantly on stage. I heard some of the testimony at the end. Thanks for telling me about it, else I would have missed out. Couldn't meet you as you were up on stage and did not want to disturb you. Hope to meet you another time. Thanks again and please convey my appreciation to the staff. Cheers" .. Anmol.
Occupational Therapy
Happenings
What are sensory issues?
Some kids seem to have trouble handling the information their senses take in—things like sound, touch, taste, sight, and smell. There are also two other less well-known senses that can be affected—the first is a sense of body awareness, while the second involves movement, balance, and coordination. Also, kids with sensory issues can be oversensitive to input, under sensitive to input, or both.
Sensitive kids respond easily to sensory stimulation and can find it overwhelming. They may:
Be unable to tolerate bright lights and loud noises like ambulance sirens
Refuse to wear clothing because it feels scratchy or irritating-even after cutting out all the tags and labels-or shoes because they feel "too tight."
Be distracted by background noises that others don't seem to hear
Be fearful of surprise touch, and avoid hugs and cuddling even with familiar adults
Be overly fearful of swings and playground equipment
Often have trouble knowing where their body is in relation to other objects or people
Bump into people and things and appear clumsy
Have trouble sensing the amount of force they're applying; for example, they may rip the paper when erasing, pinch too hard or slam down objects.
Run off, or bolt, when they’re overwhelmed to get away from whatever is distressing them
What we do in therapy department?
Evaluation: Each child is different. Before therapy can begin, we will evaluate the child's specific sensory issues. We use tests as well as closely observe the child's behavior and talking to the parents.
Treatment: We offer activities to make the child feel more comfortable, secure, and able to focus. There is a lot of physical contact designed to give the child the right amount of stimulation. Activities include rolling or bouncing on huge balls, jumping into a ball pit, jumping on a trampoline and spinning in a protected sling.
Brushing: We also use something called "brushing" particularly for children who find the sensations of what most of us would consider "normal" touch walking barefoot, the feel of clothing against our skin, of being touched by another person irritating or unpleasant. It involves using a soft-bristled brush to provide deep pressure, followed by joint compressions.
The sensory gym: Treatment usually takes place in a setting outfitted with specialized equipment, called a sensory gym. The equipment allows kids to safely spin and crash into padded surfaces. The gym also been outfitted with things like weighted vests to provide deep pressure that is calming to kids with sensory processing issues.
Result of the therapy
Most of our children have he sensory issues. After the therapy most of the children’s behavior has been changed. The parents have given a lot of testimony about positive changes which they observe from the child’s behavior from previous to now. The sensory therapy has helped to improve the sitting tolerance, sound tolerance and also in vestibular behaviors.
V-Excel Remedial Center
From Kejal Bakshi's Desk
Summer Camp – Time to meet, greet and have fun through activities
The 10-day camp (3 hours daily) was filled with activities related to four kingdoms in nature – mineral, plant, animal and human. All 14 children enjoyed each day by cooking delicious snacks for themselves, playing social games and doing activities like growing a plant, washing, felting, pottery, carpentry, craft work and visiting the Theosophical Society for a nature walk.
A few of the parents responses -
1. After the nature walk at Theosophical Society, my child slept early and was very calm.
2. Next day, my son got up early and wanted to go for a walk.
3. My child takes the broom everyday and wants to sweep the floor. Whenever the floor is dirty or any food is spilt over, he takes a cloth and wipes the dirt himself.
Few success stories during the camp:
A child who refused to put her hands in sand or clay, was happy and excited to work on the Potter's wheel. She did not want to move from her place and wanted more time to explore the wheel.
A child who was hyperactive and refused to be in one place, tapped his feet in rhythm when we sang 'Dwarfs are we', a rhythmic song. He can now recognize the song, when the teacher plays the recorder or just hums the song.
A child who refused to work with her hands, and kept reading her book benefited from carpentry. During the carpentry day, her book was away. Sawing wood made her calm.
We also conducted a screening camp at TATVA school at Polechery, where we screened 15 children and gave our recommendations for children who need detailed assessment and remedial sessions. We met the teachers and gave an overview of disabilities, characteristics of learning disabilities, and to look at red flags in a child, if any. It was a learning and joyful experience.
Under our Neev project, we had several meetings with Cathedral Free Primary School, Santhome. We did basic observations in the classroom. From June, we shall begin our remedial work there. In Olcott Memorial School, we had open house for all the parents. The parents and classroom teachers were able to notice significant change in each and every child. In Malathi Matriculation School, making progress reports, meeting parents kept the teachers busy. In M.P Anand School, we assessed 50 children with learning disabilities and difficulties.
At Velachery Cooperation School, we conducted a summer camp for 5 days. Circle time, story, origami, finger painting, collage making were few activities did with them. Children were very happy with the various activities, excited and proud to take back their beautiful work. These activities enhanced the confidence levels and the social skills of these children. They learnt how to follow instructions, wait for their turn, and also enjoyed music and art.
Satellite Centers
From Jayanthi Vishwanath's Desk
Our Centre observed the World Autism awareness day on April 2, by holding an Awareness rally in which 150 people participated..
All the students of the school and Vocational Centre were taken to the famous Kalaram temple in Nashik, on the occasion of Ramnavami celebration. The children enjoyed the soulful bhajans and music performances rendered by renowned musicians of Nashik
From this month, we began holding skating classes for our students in the evenings on Saturdays and Sundays.
Annual evaluation of all the students were carried out both in the school and YES and many children have performed very well.
On 27th April, a grand fun-fare, games and dinner was organised for all the students,parents and staff of V-EXCEL, Nashik by The owners of Balaji resort in Gangapur road. All the participants had an enjoyable evening.
The Annual evaluation reports were handed over to the parents on 29th April, which was the last working day of this Academic year.
From Gopal Jahagirdar in Solapur
On 3rd April we arranged dental camp in our center on the occasion of World Autism Day. We invited Dr. (Mrs.) Varsha Jade (Dentist) for this event. She guided the parents on dental care and hygiene and conducted a free dental check-up for all our children.
On April 10th Mrs. Aparna Shindhe trained our teachets in making garlands from satin cloth pieces in the Tirupati-Tirumala style. Students of pre-vocational group are also participated in this program which was arranged by Dr. Tapsale.
On 13th April we invited Mrs. Mrunalini More to stage a puppet show. All our children enjoyed this program. Mrs. More wrote an article on our center which was published in Divya Marathi daily newspaper.
In the anual meeting held in Chennai, Mrs. Pradnya Jadhav (custodian) of our center got an award for Best Worker.
From Abhyasa Kendra - Srirangam
The Abhyasa center in Srirangam saw many visits and meetings in the month of April. The month started with Shri. Velukkudi Swami visiting the centre for a meeting with parents and teachers on April 7th at our centre. He addressed the small gathering about the importance of parental involvement in each child's development. He stressed on placements and requested the parents to follow instructions given by teachers at school, at home as well.
From the month of April bhajan sessions have begun in the Abhyasa center, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 3 and 4 pm. These bhajan sessions are conducted by Mr. Venkatraman.
The teaching faculty from the Abhyasa centre visited Chennai to attend the Annual day function organised by V-Excel’s, on April 9th. The teachers returned back awe struck and completely mesmerised by the young talent. The annual day function inspired the teachers to replicate the same in Abhyasa.
In the third week of April, the laundry unit in Abhyasa was equipped with vacuum ironing tables and the professionals demonstrated how to use the equipment. Mr. Sivaprakash, our Senior Manager and our centre co-ordinator, Mr. Soundarajan was present in the centre and organised this for us. We are hoping to train the students well with all the available high end equipments and place them in the subsequent years.
On April 22nd, the staff from Abhyasa took part in a meeting held in RC school on the awareness of the rights for persons with disabilities. This meeting was facilitated by Lawyer Martin. It was a very informative meeting and the teachers definitely benefited from it.
Vocational Training / Youth Empowerment Services
From Usha Rajagopal's Desk
Here at Sreyes, the first week of April was engaged in completing and transporting the props to Sharada. A second set of props of some items were made.
Sunday, the D day, the Sreyes full team was there to help get the stage ready. Everyone felt that were an integral part of the show. It was very nice to see the sense of oneness and happiness. Everyone was happy as they were included in the final Bow . They appreciated Gita's idea for including the behind the scenes , the way it was.
Town hall meeting and the lunch was good.... the unit members said. Shanthi felt very happy and empowered at the recognition of her efforts.
Post that , it was a week of clearing and putting things in order in what had been transformed into a work shop. Shahbaz, the new trainee started coming and Shanthi works with him.
The trainees at Sreyes were engaged in
No "One " activity to be specific
paper mache base work done in assembly line fashion by one group.
template making by a group
Block printing by a group
Material cutting by a group.
bean bag stitching by a group
Thambulam bag making by a group.
All the above work were done towards various orders.
In the background we had the parents come over to get a written account of the activities/ work their wards have been involved in, this June '16 to April '17.
They got to see pictures and videos of their wards in addition to walking into the work area to see trainees at work.
Actually We wanted to plan a open day on the lines of the Kaustubh one, but due to several constraints, it did not materialise that way. The parents were very happy with what we did and their main wish was to have such experience more than once in an academic year.
Contrary to earlier experience, the trainees, showed off their skills of focus at work and did not get distracted when the parents came in . Other than wishing or acknowledging their presence, they did not move away from what they were doing.
Had a discussion with Sashi, Neha and Puja with Shanthi too, about the various vocations and plans for KLC young adults coming in from June 19 th to be observers / learn vocations at Sreyes.
During the last week of the month, the group was busy with completion of orders received during the month. Work was executed with very great enthusiasm in spite of the heat outside. Simultaneously they also completed the cleaning work and setting the work area. to order.
Friday , the 28 th was a day of fun for all. The teachers and trainees together cooked lunch for a group of 35 persons. Apart from the VTU members,we had the pleasure of hosting our senior admin team and a couple of trustees. . The team Cafe Samarth took charge of hospitality.
Later in the day, they played some games and rocked a bit to light music. During the games ,we saw many of them come out and express themselves 'spontaneously' and in manners quite unique. It sure was a learning for us who work with them. Nirmala , our special educator,had expressed her necessity to take a years break. This was acknowledged and she was relieved as on the last working day. Ms. Bhavani, has been inducted into the unit to get trained in the sanitary napkin making.
From Youth Empowerment Services:
April 2017 started with a great expectation about our Annual Day. As the day was nearing, all the trainees were involved in the annual day practice. We felt that the whole Lion King was heading towards a perfect professional stage show.
The practice session has created a feeling of happiness, pride and oneness. It has unveiled the trainees inherent potential. For example, we found out that our trainee varun was able to recite the whole ‘The Lion King’ dialogue. Trainee Arjun has a sense of rhythmic movement and performed beautifully in a dance sequence. Trainee Mithran's phobia towards big flowers and leaves vanished as he was enacting the role of a flower.
Every Wednesday Dr. Kathyayani visits YES and meets two sets of parents.
Mrs. Sushama Sridharan, counsellor, will visit YES for conducting parent consultations from June 2017. On 25th April Mrs. Usha Rajagopal and Mrs. Rama Nagarajan had consultations for new admissions. On 27th April, we received an order from Prof. Anand for 12.5 kgs. of chocolates to be delivered on 5th May. The work is in progress.