We achieve everything by our efforts alone. Our fate is not decided by an almighty God. We decide our own fate by our actions. You have to
gain mastery over yourself. . . . It is not a matter of sitting back and accepting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
V-Excel Outreach Program
Medical Assessment camps were conducted successfully in all the ten blocks of Villupuram. The next step is to procure the medical aids and appliances for
these children. The SSA wing of the Union Government gives financial help to buy the aids. Nevertheless, in order to reach out to all the children we seek
support from individuals and companies to fund the cost of these medical aids which include hearing aids, spectacles, crutches, wheelchairs, calipers, etc.
September was a hectic month for our special educators at Villupuram. In addition to their usual routine of imparting special education, they were involved in
meticulous planning of arranging field trips for about 1,000 special children.
Academy of Teacher Excellence News
We were fortunate to have Mrs. Usha Ramakrishnan, a pioneer in the field of Special Education to address our trainees on two important topics,
i.e., "Multiple Intelligences" on the 14th and " Understanding diversity in child development " on the 20th of September. The trainees benefited immensely
from these presentations.
The students went on a field trip to Vidyasagar Special School at Kotturpuram. Their experience was very different and their understanding of the varied
special needs was reinforced.
Kaleidoscope Learning Center (KLC) News
School reopened on 11th October after the first term break. The school has been agog with activity with the festival season being heralded. We celebrated
Navratri on 18th October with all the classes adding to the festive spirit by decorating dandiyas or making dolls. Some of the children participated in
the ‘Dandiya Raas’. It was wonderful to see the teachers and students engaged in a dance together!!. Kolu was assembled and displayed with many classes
contributing their creations in clay, wood, or sponge.
The “Kitchen Craft” programme was inaugurated on 12th October. Each class has a hands-on working time in our kitchen lab managed by our loyal volunteer
‘Vasanthi’ who has taken charge of coordinating kitchen related activities for the whole centre. We look forward to the revival of the Friday “Tuck Shop”!.
There is dance, drama and songs being practiced in every corner of the school as children are getting ready for a TV presentation next month.
Play therapy sessions have started in every class with Puja- the educational psychologist. Children are responding and many group and individual goals are
being met through these sessions.
V-Excel Remedial Center (VRC) News
In-service training for the remedial teachers is going on in full swing. The focus and theme for this year is “Quality Education”. Guest lectures,
in-house presentations, case studies, debates and material making sessions form the backbone of the learning sessions.
Children from the morning group started
to use the kitchen in a structured program, the goals for this being independence in not only making a few dishes but how to serve, how to keep the kitchen
clean and how to eat gracefully.
Snippets from our classroom:
Adish communicated that he wants to help other children settle down. True to his promise he has been the catalyst in helping Karthik Babu and Rahul
reconcile their core difficulties to settle down in the school.
Shreya secured 15th rank in her terminal examinations at her regular school. What is remarkable is that she overcame her difficulties in being separated
from her parents, dealing with the new environment, learning difficulties and emotional issues relating to the adjustments she had to make. It took her
six months but she has now settled down to do some accelerated learning. We hope and pray she keeps up this progress!
Bridges Learning Academy
The students returned to school on October 11th after a short break.
They were taken to see a movie, Ratatouille, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
Classes have resumed and all the students are enjoying their lessons.
Several activities have been planned for the forthcoming month. These include preparing for a Tamil action song which is to be telecast on
Doordarshan on Children’s Day.
Cooking classes have commenced and all the children are being taught to prepare some simple but delectable dishes.
V-Excel Center for Research and Rehabilitation
Students went for a field trip to their Dance instructor’s studio. The trip was in connection with the stage performance Mr. Dev had organised in which our
students also participated. They had a gala time apart from the practice sessions.
The stage performance was held on Oct 19th at Music Academy Hall, in which our students danced to the Lemon Tree song by Fools Garden. The programme was
a huge crowd-puller. The audience gave a standing ovation to our students’ performance.
Students listen to a chanting of Bhagavad-Gita (Gita - Chapter 12) played on the CD player every morning after assembly.
Goals for the programme were set following the IEP.
A dental camp was conducted by Shakti Dental camp for the students. Parents were briefed about the dental hygiene of their wards and the treatment
plan as suggested by the doctor.
Students were taught to design blouse bits using blocks during their block printing classes. The students turned out beautiful designer pieces. The
display and sale was very encouraging.
Navarathri / Dussehra puja was performed. Students enthusiastically participated in arranging dolls for the Golu, followed by Saraswati puja.
Counseling Unit
The Group Therapies and Play Therapies have now become an established routine. Puja, our psychologist has some positive stories to share about
the groups that she conducts for some classes in KLC.
The goal of this group with a particular class was to facilitate group interaction and playing together, anger management and developing sense of
personal belongings.
The strategies used were
Reciprocal pairing or small group games- with cars, balls, row row, hand claps
Group game-facilitated play like cooking, washing, making a train, blocks, sand play group
Body movements - animal movements, construction of objects with body
Social stories to address anger management
Stories using puppets and objects to deal with appropriate expression of emotions and songs to deal with emotions and appropriate behavior
By the end of the fourth session the children were able to come together as a group and be cohesive, follow the rules and enjoy the group activities,
learning the basics of social interactions. These stories are very inspiring in continuing our work with the children.
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.
Parent Statements
Nobody is an advocate for your kid but yourself. You see potential when nobody else sees potential and you see problems when
nobody else sees problems.
Exposure, time, and practice have taught me how to advocate effectively for my children so that I now have much greater
control in educational decision-making.
In my opinion, it's not just the squeaky wheel that gets the oil - it's also the most familiar one.
Because of certain books and movies, a lot of public attention seems to be focused on autism right now. I think we
should capitalize on that interest before it fades. We need to push for more services now.
My best advice: GET INVOLVED. The best thing you can do for yourself is become friends with other people who have children
who also spit two hundred times in an hour. They understand you and where you're coming from.
Autistic kids usually cannot tell you what they need, and people without everyday contact with autism don't understand
your frustration. Step on toes if you must, but don't sit back and assume it will work out.
I remember when I was a kid, I used to think vocational education was for "dummies". Having a child with autism has really
changed my perceptions. I'm not expecting a miracle or anything, but I really hope vocational education will be Car's ticker
to self-sufficiency.
You've got to remember that a lot of the things that seem cute when your child is an adorable little kid aren't going to seem
nearly so cute when he's a full-grown man.
