Providing lifespan services to individuals with special needs...
Strides Newsletter Archives
Academy of Teaching Excellence
Happenings
The ATE department of V-Excel was given the task of running a one day program on "Early Identification and Management of Children with ASD" by the State Commission for the Welfare of the Differently Abled. We had done a similar one day workshop last year, where we had special educators and students of M.Sc. Counselling and Psychotherapy programs and our staff participating. This year we wanted to give an exposure to the students of M.Sc. Psychology of Madras University and the Special Education trainees of both B.Ed. and Diploma courses. We had about 50 participants including our own teachers.
The program was inaugurated by Mr. Joseph Xavier the Technical Officer of SRTC (State Resource & Training Centre). He spoke of the need of early intervention and the role of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Differently Abled. He said that the State had invested in mobile rehabilitation units with personnel and equipment to reach out to the differently-abled in all districts of Tamil Nadu.
Dr. Vasudha Prakash handled the morning session on what ASD was, all the senses involved and the importance of addressing each and every sensory issues at a very early stage.
Mrs. Maria Josephine handled the afternoon session and gave the participants on the “Why" of early intervention. Following this, there was a group discussion and many suggestions and ideas were shared. The participants had come up with various plans on implementing what they had gathered from both the sessions.
At the end of the day's program Mr. Ramasamy, Trustee of Bala Vidhya Bhavan handed over certificates to the participants.
In the month of May, ATE did not have any training program scheduled. The month was used to plan various program for V-Excel. This planning included a 5-year projection for ATE. Many exciting and new programs are going to be implemented from the academic year June 15 to May 16. Look out for announcements.
Also ATE will be helping all units across V-Excel in setting up a centralised demographic information, standardised assessments, Individualised Education Programs and evaluations for all V-Excel students. A detailed flow chart and program has already been evolved to be set in motion soon.
Counseling & Assessments
Happenings
In the month of May along with our regular follow-ups of adult counseling and Cognizant counseling desks, we had many consultations from Chettinad, Sishya and other schools for assessment. All the counselors were busy with consultations
and subsequent assessments. We also tried to get the process of consultation streamlined with the help of Sivaprakash
Puja and Anandhi helped in Summer camp conducted by Jason and others. It was good to start this activity, but we need to form a proper procedure or outline for these camps if we want to conduct it next year also.
We started a desk at Sathyabhama University. Currently Sarmishta goes there once a week for four hours. It's a
very good opportunity to enter the college system and to provide help for the many interpersonal and psychological issues are faced by youngsters.
We got introduced to the IPP system and trying to upload as many consultations from June as possible. Our regular group therapies for KLC have started and Kaustubham also.
Two weeks back we were called to offer group grief counseling to a team in Sun Logistics.
Early Intervention
Success Stories
The EI program has evolved from strength to strength and there is no greater testament to the success of this program than the
testimonials provided by the parents of two children who were seen in the EI unit.
Ishaan
We started therapy sessions at the Shastri Nagar center of V-Excel for our child who had difficulty with speech, communication, eye-contact, self-recognition. At the outset like any other parent we were broken down, but in Lalitha ma’am (center head) we found a confidante who heard us patiently and explained to us at every step on how our child would progress, how to handle him and how the center would facilitate him based on his needs. She taught us to see our child's remarkable abilities which we would have otherwise failed to do so. The staff at V-Excel are very cordial, they handled our children with utmost care taking note of the very minute instructions given by the parent and were most obliging whether it pertained to the session timings or child's needs.
Now my child is able to express clearly his wants, needs, his feelings without any difficulty and as parents we are so very thankful to Lalitha Ma’m and her team.
Warm regards,
Janaki S.
About Srivatson's Improvement in V-Excel
Dear Madam,
First of all thanks for bringing a great change in my son’s life. I still remember the first day when I met you with you with tears. The effort taken by you (V-Excel) had brought him to the stage where he is not. Home programs, mode of therapy given from the start to till now has an objective. Problems he had initially like speech delay, improper walking, mouth closure, writing etc., all started vanishing drastically.
Now he started writing which I can’t imagine as he was having major problem in pencil holding. He is reading well in academics also. Last performance in stage as "Police Man" has proved his level of improvement. I will be always in touch with you to bring him to maximum level that he can reach.
Heartful thanks to you once again.
Regards,
Kalaivani R.
Kaleidoscope Learning Center
Happenings
The school closed for summer break for the children on the 13th of April. The reports which are detailed individualised qualitative reports were given out on the 8th and this was followed by some whole school activity for the rest of the days. Parents were called to take instructions and suggestions for a useful, creative summer break.
A workshop was held on the 21st of April for parents who wanted to learn some fine motor tasks for helping children at home. About ten parents attended the session where Gita demonstrated simple household activities and the way they can be used to help finger dexterity and hand function. Parents were spoken to about structure and rhythm to help their wards have a summer which was manageable and safe for parents and therapeutic for children.
The teachers attended a three day workshop conducted by Anandhi an experienced Waldorf teacher . She gave the teachers useful insights into "the being of a teacher"and a host of practical exercises to include as rhythmic and movement work in class room teaching. Teachers practised form drawing and were given assignments to complete in the three days.
April and May also saw new children seeking admissions and some changes in the staff. The year always ends with a review, some nostalgia, and a renewing of will work for the coming term. Classes were cleaned up, stocks checked and laundry done. The teachers went for a well deserved break from the 22nd of April. Some of our children attended the summer camp for two weeks in the school premises.
School reopens on the 1st of June.
V-Excel Educational Trust
Wrapping up the Year
Wrapping up the academic year 2014-15
Our year-end meeting for the Unit Heads was held on Sunday April 12, 2015 at Sharada. The highlights of the year were reviewed and each Unit Head presented a SWOT analysis.
In keeping with our traditions, a town-hall style meeting was held on Monday, April 13, 2015. All the staff, management, teachers and support staff were present for the meeting. Success stories were shared and plans for the year ahead were discussed.
Workshop on Biography of Relationships
"Aantarya" (The Association of Anthroposophic Psychotherapy) conducted the workshops, THE 'I' IN 'WE' in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. These workshops were about working through the biography of our relationships. All 3 were be conducted by psychologists; Dr. Kiranmayi Bapi, Ms. Parimal Pandit (of V-Excel) and Ms. Suchitra Inamdar.
Occupational Therapy
- Busy with documenting annual reports for 16 children from KLC
- New assessments done for 6 children.
- Discussions about annual reports formats, systems and procedures to be followed in the upcoming year
- Viba, a VRC student, shows good improvement in emerging from gravitational insecurity. She used to have difficulty and fear in getting into and out of a swimming pool. She now performs well without any difficulties. Gravitational insecurity is a profound mistrust of gravity and its ability to keep your child firmly anchored to the ground. It's like what you feel when you momentarily lose your balance, times ten and without end. If your child's vestibular system is giving him unreliable or hard to process information about where the pull of gravity is coming from and how it's keeping him upright, he will likely take very few risks with getting very far away from the ground.
V-Excel Remedial Center
Karthic is a 14-year old boy brought to us for assessment and remedial help during last month.
Considering his age it was a surprise that he was not given any remedial help so far. Upon assessing he was found to have severe lags in learning skills especially in spelling, expressive writing and math skills. He was withdrawn shy and very low on confidence and self-esteem.
As we started working with him we could sense his desperation and with encouraging talks and building on his strengths we could build good rapport with him. He showed amazing drawing skills. Every session would end with a drawing time and he enthusiastically engaged in it.
And one day he drew this, to our surprise. When questioned gently about the choice of the picture, hesitatingly, he said that the fish represents him, longing to get out,just to go out there and play and not be reminded all the time to study and study more. And his eyes filled with tears. The picture brings out clearly the desperation in the eyes of the fish.
Isn't there a poignant message here for all of us, the parents, the teachers and the society?
Satellite Centers
Nasik
In the month of March, two festivals were celebrated with lots of vigor and enthusiasm.
Rangpanchami: In semi-urban and rural parts of Mahrashtra, Holi is celebrated for five days, starting from the last full-moon day of Phalgun month, up to Panchami, which is the fifth day of the lunar calendar. Holi is also celebrated as a testimony of great love of Radha-Krishna. It is said that, Krishna applied colors on Radha and other Gopis and from there, the tradition of applying color on Holi began. On 10th March, the teachers and children smeared organic colours on each other, danced to peppy numbers and celebrated Rangpanchami.
Gudi Padawa: Gudi Padawa is the first day of Chaitra (March/April) and is the first day according to the Hindu solar calendar. Thus, people celebrate this festival and hope to drive the evil away from their house.. People erect a Gudi by using bamboo sticks topped with a brass goblet. Teachers and kids of our school designed and made two beautiful gudis which were erected at the main door of the school.
Parent Meetings: The term-end individual parent meetings commenced on 23rd March 2015. The parents expressed their views and trepidations with respect to the behavior and level of skill acquisition of the kids. The psychologist Mrs. Pradnya Apte counseled the parents and attempted to address the primary concerns of the parents. All the parents were asked to fill up the feedback forms to help us improve our methods and quality of teaching.
Visitors: About six students of D. Ed-DSE (MR) from Prabodini Teacher Training Institute, Nashik visited our school for observation on 27th March. They were accompanied by 2 teachers. The various activities carried out in the school were explained to them in detail. The trainees observed the classroom and therapy sessions and their queries were answered by the special educators and therapists of the school.
Vocational Training / Youth Empowerment Services
- The first 20 days of March went in making props for the Annual Day 2015.
- Our Managing Trustee placed an order for the 25 jute bags
- Our PRO, Mrs. Charu Sriram, attended a Conference on CSR for NGOs on March 25. It was to create awareness about the CSR Act, methods of approach, the role of NGOs and the impact on the society. Various methods of approaching companies and preparing documents and business mappings were discussed..
- Our products were displayed at Bamboola Play school during their graduation day on March 28.
From YES
- March 2 - art therapy was given by our counseling department.
- March 3 - our trainees with Sreyes interns visited a restaurant Copper Chimney at Taramani.
- March 7 - Employees from Square Network Solutions visited YES. They interacted with our trainees and staff. Our counselor, Anandhi Balan, shared strategies on how to handle trainees.
- March 16 - Sangeetha and Mrs. Rama Nagarajan attended Dr. Deepa Menon's lecture on autism spectrum disorder
- March 18 - Mr. Krishnan gave an introductory speech to the parents of YES and Sreyes about vegetable cutting and options in that area.
- March 19 - Annual day. Our trainees took part in the Garden of Light.
- March 30-31 - Our teacher Sangeetha, trainee Sriram and Mrs. Rama Nagarajan attended Ms. Tia Pleiman's hand paper-making workshop.