"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." Edith Lovejoy Pierce
V-Excel News
V-Excel organized a social evening to celebrate the World Disability Day on 3rd December 2008. Adolescents and young adults from different
special schools in Chennai were the real stars of this program. It was a gala occasion for the children to be in the midst of celebrities like Mr.
Mouli (film director and actor), Mr. Kandaswamy and Mrs. Pushpa Kandaswamy (film producers), Mr. Bosky (actor-comedian), Ms. Anita Ratnam (renowned
Bharatanatyam dancer), Ms. Uma Padmanabhan (television artiste) and Mr. Haricharan (playback singer). We are extremely thankful to all of them for
sharing their most precious commodity - time - with our children. Sans the on-stage speeches and lectures to youngsters, it really was a memorable evening
filled with music, dance and good food for all the participants. Our special thanks to Hotel Savera for sponsoring this significant event.
Sharada Krishnan, a 10-year old from Morganville, NJ, set an example for us all in giving and sharing. Sharada celebrated her 10th birthday in November and
asked her invited friends and guests to support our cause in India. With her persuasion, she was able to raise $350 for us and made us all realize
that there is joy in giving and that the spirit of sharing with the less-privileged is always so relevant. From all of us, "Thank you, Sharada!"
Resource development has been one of our focus areas this year. While a number of training programs were held in the course of the academic year, an
in-depth program on Curative Education - was conducted this month. The trainers Dr. Lakshmi, Michael, Cameron and John once again demonstrated their hold
on the subject. A basic program, held in April 2008, had evoked a lot of interest and was found to be very effective in helping the special educators work
with children with special needs. Taking this experience forward, we involved over 65 staff members, including teachers and administrators, in the workshop.
Needless to say, the response from every quarter was overwhelming and we all hope to gain from the learnings.
As a part of our initiative to empower parents of children with Autism, we conducted a phased program spread over three weekends. We discussed various topics
such as basic facts related to Autism, role of movement taught to the special children, importance of focusing on diet and digestion, need for adherence to a
daily routine of eating-physical activities-sleeping, etc., all towards ensuring holistic development of children. The highlight of this workshop was a fresh
approach to working with special children. Rather than viewing themselves as being chosen to help the children, educators and parents need to understand that
the children around us give us an opportunity to have varied experiences that teach us valuable lessons, which in turn help us to live life at a more
‘conscious’ level, and to spiritually advance ourselves. Effectively, this helps parents take away the psychological stress and genuinely enjoy their wards
as ‘children’. Parents seemed to have really liked the workshop and now want a forum where school and parents can work together on a more regular basis.
Kaleisdoscope Learning Centre
The spirit of Christmas stood around the school like an enchanted spell. The whole school was a buzz with carols and presents and music and celebration.
Children went for different parties – The Jungle Party in Chitra’s class, Reena’s birthday party in Janaki’s class, Barbie and Archana’s party in Bharathi’s
class. This plan was in keeping with the ‘block’ (i.e. topic chosen for teaching a particular central idea to our children using various modes) of
the term…...‘Celebrations’.
The movie Polar Express was screened in the school. All the viewers, teachers and children alike, watched it with great interest. The theme of the Polar
Express covered the entire school, with the train tracks reaching every class and passing through forests and mountains. The children loved every moment of it!
Sports Day practice has begun and drills are being formulated. The event is scheduled for 6th February 2009. All the teachers are busy getting their
respective groups ready to represent different colourful ‘seasons’, which is the theme of the sports program.
The in-house training with Dr. Lakshmi, Michael, Cameron and John, culminated at the high point on the 23rd when the teachers and children did a
Christmas musical and Michael met the children as Santa Claus! A month of learning to balance and understand more about ‘free will’; KLC rests for the
Christmas holidays, digesting and processing to begin again for next term.
Academy for Teacher Excellence
The first week of December took off by an informative session on Early Intervention conducted by Ms. Shrimati (HOD – Inclusion Department, Vidyasagar),
followed by thrilling, application-oriented sessions on teaching Maths and Reading skills, and the interesting session on Social Stories presented by Ms.
Mallika Ganapathy.
Towards the last week of the month, the students got ready with their IEPs (Individualized Education Plans), and underwent their first observation for
their respective case-study child, thus getting the real feel of the course. With starry eyes, ATE students usher in the New Year, hoping to create a difference
in the lives of God’s own children with special abilities.
This misty month of December was like a roller coaster ride for the ATE students - filled with sessions on various topics, practicals, observations, and
topped with a four-day Anthroposophy workshop.
Early Intervention Unit
The focus in Early Intervention Unit this month has been on Parent Training and Home Program. Parents were given input about the importance of training
functional independence skills in the following areas:
Toileting skills
Eating skills - with emphasis an biting, chewing and swallowing
Brushing skills
The program consisted of briefing the parents on the importance of such training and the effect of follow-up of training at home. Every child is put
on this program and skills are task-analyzed. Based on the level of functioning of the child, the parents were taught specific skills to train the child
at home, and a review is being conducted after three weeks. Many children in the age group of 3–4 years are showing good progress in this area. The main
idea of self-help training is to make the child functionally independent.
Bridges Learning Academy
With 2008 drawing to a close, our children were extremely busy with a host of activities. Revision was on in full swing and culminated in the half-yearly
exams during mid-December. It is indeed heartening to note that the majority of the children have made good progress and this was evident in the marks
they scored. Meetings were scheduled with the parents to apprise them of the test results.
Two of our students will definitely be leaving us next year. We are very happy that Sidharth has been admitted in Zion Matriculation School; Anand
will be moving to the United States. Our best wishes to both of them.
Christmas mood was in the air and our children spent an entire day enjoying themselves thoroughly decorating their classrooms. Not surprisingly, their
happiness doubled when they received gifts from Santa Claus and his team!
We would like to ta7ke this opportunity to wish all our parents and well-wishers a happy and a prosperous new year.
V-Excel Remedial Centre
The making of the Christmas tree formed the core part of the celebrations for our children and teachers. Everybody participated in making it from
scratch. Wet-on-wet painting, cutting, and pasting, tying the different shapes onto the tree were some contributions. The resultant tree was divine to
see, feel and pray by for all our visitors.
Children with Autism, learning difficulties, and attention problems placed in inclusive settings have been having their half yearly exams earlier this
month. It has been a tough time for the teachers to find a balance between de-stressing, academically preparing for exams, and remediation of the problem
areas for our children.
A landmark snippet from our classroom:
One of our older students finally opened up to our efforts to get him to communicate. The first thing that came out was his grief in being
‘thrown out’ of a reputed Montessori school six years ago. He communicated how he had bottled up his emotions, trying to fit in wherever his
parents have tried to take him. He said it was very hard for him to live with this pain. He has promised to work with us to heal the hurt;
something for us to take forward in the New Year.
Rural Outreach Program
As a part of her regular observation rounds, our Managing Trustee Mrs. B. Sundari, visited the different resource rooms set up by us in the blocks
and met the concerned teachers as well as officials that support our work. Her feedback about the commitment of the special educators from Villipuram
makes us really proud to be working with such a wonderful team!
We had begun an appliance distribution drive last month in Villipuram district. The beneficiaries were those with visual impairment, hearing impairment
and other physical challenges. While eight of the ten blocks handled by V-Excel were covered in November, the remaining two blocks were completed this
month through the distribution camps held in those areas.
Vocational Training Unit
It is the end of this calendar year and time to reflect on all the good things that have happened. Six months down since we started and our children
have learnt to make some beautiful products in the form of calendars, stoles, writing pads and other gift items. It is very evident that they have
benefitted from the clearly set out structure, discipline and method of teaching. We must thank Mrs. Prema, our consultant, for introducing us to this
simulated work culture. The added plus is the sense of pride our students experience, especially when they create something beautiful on their own.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s going on in our different classes:
Mrs. Radha Naganathan, has taken over as our new computer teacher. Our students, Sri Ram and John are progressing well in computer skills. For
Sri Ram, we see this is an advantage in finding a job placement.
Thanks to the training given by Rama (Mrs. Mahalakshmi), some of our young girls are turning out to be confident cooks. Perfectly round chapattis
are an achievement!
Mrs. Margaret Buch, an incredibly talented craftsperson, has trained the students in jewellery-making. The hall was decked up for Christmas with
the decorations that she taught all the students and teachers to make.
Mrs. Kessey David, our volunteer, trains the girls in tailoring and block-printing. She taught the students carols and it was moving to hear them
sing ‘Silent Night’ during our Christmas celebrations.
December was a hectic month for the teachers and students as they worked hard with bubble-printing and screen printing to get the calendars for 2009
ready in time. The final product has really evolved beautifully, but not without the many lessons it taught us regarding the mechanics of printing!
On Dec. 23rd, we had Christmas celebrations in the presence of parents and friends with a simple Christmas play by our children, carol singing, and
surprise gifts by Santa gifts. All of us at V-Excel wish you all a very happy New Year!
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.
People have lived with autism throughout history – published descriptions of behavior resembling autism date back to the 18th century.
A number of researchers and doctors have studied autism over more than 50 years:
* 1943 – Dr. Leo Kanner was the first person to describe a specific condition as autism.
* 1940s – Dr. Bruno Bettleheim suggested that detached, uncaring "refrigerator" mothers caused psychologically disturbed children to develop autism,
a belief that most doctors held through the 50s and 60s.
* 1964 – Dr. Bernard Rimland provided evidence that proved autism was a biological condition, proving that Bettleheim was wrong, thus liberating
mothers from years of shame and guilt.
* 1977 – Dr. Susan Folstein and Dr. Michael C. Rutter published the first autism twin study, revealing evidence of a genetic basis for autism.
* 1991 – Drs. Catherine Lord, Michael Rutter and Ann LeCouteur published the Autism Diagnostic Interview.
* 1992 – The American Psychiatric Association released the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), which refined diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder.
* 1993 – The World Health Organization released a similar diagnostic manual known as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
* In 1994, the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) was established, becoming the first organization in the U.S. dedicated to funding and accelerating
biomedical research into the autism spectrum disorders.
* 2003 – NAAR and the NIH unveil the NAAR Autism Genome Project, a public/private research partnership that is the largest research collaboration ever
to focus on the genetics of the disorder, with the hope of finding the underlying causes of autism.
* 2004 – The first phase of the NAAR Autism Genome Project, the genome scan, is launched. The scan will utilize DNA Array technology and be conducted by
Translational Genomics Research Institute in conjunction with Affymetrix, Inc. A second scan based on microsatellite is also scheduled and will be
conducted by the Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR).
