Academy of Teacher Excellence

The Academy of Teacher Excellence (ATE)

The Academy of Teacher Excellence (ATE) operates under the mission of graduating the best teachers, who will tap every child's potential to the maximum, regardless of the child's existing level of functioning.

The Academy offers a year-long Diploma Program in Special Education (Autism Spectrum Disorder) that will give the education community a set of motivated teachers, well-equipped in state-of-the-art methodologies and practices in special education. This one-year program has formal recognition from the Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi. The Academy also provides short-term courses in various areas of special education and disabilities.

The Diploma program is an effective combination of theory and practice. Students are given intensive course work and assignments, interspersed with focused periods of internship in different educational settings. Taught by faculty members who are experts in their respective areas, the courses focus on theory and practice of instruction for children with mild to moderare disabilities like Autism, Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Mental Retardation. The program adopts an applications-based approach where students are taught hands-on strateies to enhance skills of children.

The ATE was incepted in February 2002 and has an enriched curriculum, based on practical requirements of a Special Educator. This has been immensely possible due to our special school, Kaleidoscope Learning Center, which caters to children with special needs, thus allowing our Academy teachers to spend time with them and to understand their needs.

The courses have been put together with attention to all aspects of effective instruction. The distinguishing features of ATE program are:

Content richness with significant theoretical background
Ongoing rigorous internship throughout the course
Live projects and assignments
Well-equipped library of books, assessments, other educational material
Hands-on experience in assessments

A variety of educational strategies are used, such as lectures and seminars, workshops, discussion groups, experiential methods (group-work, reflection, drama, art, etc.), tutorials, presentations by participants and consultation in relation to the practice of teaching.

At the end of the course, students are offered help in resume writing, portfolio compilation, and job placements. Students also receive ongoing support after they become alumni of the institution.

Diploma in Special Education - Autism Spectrum Disorders (DSE-ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a complex, lifelong developmental disability affecting a person's communication, imagination and social abilities. It typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism is a spectrum disorder and children with the same diagnosis will be affected in very different ways. Autism may occur alone or along with seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, mental retardation. Some autistic children do not ever develop speech, whilst others do but rarely use language to communicate. Autism is known as "spectrum disorder" because the severity of symptoms ranges from mild learning and social disabilities to severe impairments, with multiple problems and highly unusual behaviors.

Autism is not a rare disorder; rather it is the third most common developmental disorder, more common than Down's syndrome. There are at least 4 million people in India with ASD. Current epidemiological studies indicate that 1 child in every 250 has ASD. It is also a proven fact that 80% of those affected with Autism are boys. While the disorder is not rare, majority of people in India have not been diagnosed and do not receive the services they need. This situation is prevalent in many countries, but holds especially true for India where there is a tremendous lack of awareness and misunderstanding about autism.

V-Excel Educational Trust, like several NGOs in the field of disability, does not view autism or disability as a tragic condition, but rather as a different way of being. V-Excel strives to access the rights of individuals with autism and provides support and services to persons with autism and those who work with them, functioning as a dynamic partnership of parents and practitioners that extends beyond India. Our programs focus on training, education, research and advocacy issues to support the rights of children and adults with ASD and multiple disabilities.

We work closely with autism organizations worldwide to share information, resources and assist families and children at a global level through organizing and participating in conferences, seminars and training workshops across the country and abroad involving international experts and researchers in this field to share their knowledge and experience. The DSE (ASD) program run by V-Excel is recognized by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and prepares students to qualify as special educators for special schools, and resource persons in regular as well as integrated setups.

A full prospectus of the DSE-ASD is available for download here.