Providing lifespan services to individuals with special needs...

Greetings from Early Intervention and the Remedial Unit!

Observation at Olcott Memorial School:

On the 9th of November, 2023, representatives from Chola MS General Insurance visited the Olcott Memorial School to understand the working of the resource room setup by our therapist there and how the service is offered. Mr. Mujibur Rahman, Senior Therapist, Ms. Sumathi, Counselor, and Ms. Shobana, Administrator, represented EI-VRC during the visit.

Diwali celebrations: A small celebratory event was conducted on November 10, 2023, by the staff and children of EI-VRC. Diyas were lit, and a small prayer was sung to grace the occasion.

Play therapy: A training program was conducted on the 17th of November 2023, by Ms. Nasrath Banu, Special Educator, EI/VRC, on ‘Play therapy'.

The session covered what play therapy is, its types, the benefits of it, and skill-developing strategies through play.

Play therapy is a psychological tool used by mental health practitioners and therapists (physical therapists, behavioral therapists, and occupational therapists) to observe and gain insight into a child's problems. It is primarily used for children because they may not be able to understand, express, process, and/or articulate their emotions to their caregivers. It can be used with any individual who has difficulty putting into words their thoughts or emotions, regardless of their age. The therapist gains an understanding of the individual through their play (behavior).

Types of play: Directive play is where the child (client) is guided by the therapist as to how to engage in play, be it with toys, role-play, or playing games with rules. Non-directive play is where the therapist does not provide any direction as to how to engage in play, and the child (client) is free to play in any manner they wish to. Another kind of play therapy is Child-centred Play Therapy (CCPT), which involves being congruent and empathetic with the child and, creating a safe space that allows the child to express themselves and grow.

Benefits of play: The following areas are impacted when children/adults engage in play: improving physical and cognitive capabilities, autonomy, language, creativity, self-esteem, socialization, teamwork and coordination, understanding leadership, taking turns, sharing, and regulation of emotions and stress.

Skill-developing strategies through play: The following areas can be improved when play is used as a tool with children: response to name calls, making and maintaining eye contact, focus and attention, taking turns, motor skills, body language, interactive communication, expressive and receptive language, functional skills, and academic skills.

Ms. Nasrath also touched upon how play therapy is used as a supportive tool with regard to early intervention in children, especially with children who have conditions such as Autism, Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and/or a Learning Disability (LD). She also went on to say how play is a crucial marker in identifying if a child has achieved a developmental milestone or if it has any difficulty in achieving it.

As part of the session, the participants engaged in a few games to gain a better understanding of how play could be helpful in fostering learning and development. Ten participants took part in the session.

Screening at Korattur Government School: As part of our outreach program supported by Chola MS General Insurance, a screening camp was conducted at Korattur Governmet School on the 12th and 19th of October 2023, and 2nd of November 2023. Students from grades I, II, III, and IV were screened during the camp. It was a three-day screening camp. The number of beneficiaries of the screening camp is 55.

Screening at Cathedral Free Primary School: As part of our outreach program supported by Chola MS General Insurance, a screening camp was conducted at Cathedral Free Primary School on the 21st and 23rd of November 2023. Students from grades II, III, IV, and V were screened during the camp. Ten children were identified as having substantial difficulties in regard to their psychomotor development and/or learning.

As part of the outreach, a sensitization session was conducted for the school teachers by Ms. Lekshmi Ramesh, Unit Head, Early Intervention and Remedial Unit, V-Excel Educational Trust. She spoke on the importance of early intervention, how it helps children with special needs, and how it is a collective effort by parents, the school, and the early intervention team to help address the needs of the child.

Screening camp at Thirunelveli: As a part of PAYAUTENTION – an initiative by Tatapower for the awareness and sensitization of Autism, a screening camp was conducted in Thirunelveli on the 29th and 30th of November 2023 and 1st of December 2023.

Deepawali is one of the most important festivals of India. The festival of light is a time of joy, togetherness and celebration. This year Diwali celebration was conducted on 8th November 2023, in an exotic location of Hotel Sai Saaya to make the celebration memorable. Children came in colourful outfits and enjoyed dancing to filmy music with their friends and teachers. This was followed by a lovely spread of traditional Indian food and sweets. Gift packets of goodies were given to all the staff. Diwali holidays were declared from 9th to 19th November.

The Constitution Day of India is observed on November 26 every year to commemorate the adoption of the fundamental principles governing the nation. The preamble of constitution was read by the students. Students also paid tribute to the soldiers who sacrificed their life and fought bravely in 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

On Nov 27, the members of Inner wheel club of Coimbatore and Nashik visited our Special school and interacted with the children. They donated new toys and educational aids for our children.

On Nov 30th, above 45 B.Ed students of Bahinabai Women's college of Education visited our Special school and Vocational training centre , as a part of field visit of B. Ed curriculum. In the morning, our school staff and students observed the anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

On 9th November, we celebrated Diwali festival. We burst crackers and distributed sweets to all. f. All the children and staff enjoyed the celebration.

On 14th November, Children’s Day was celebrated with fun games like musical chair. All the Children and Teachers participated in the celebration.

On 15th and 16th November, Mrs. Lekshmi Ramesh, Mr. Sivaprakash Balasubramanian and Mrs. Manju from Pollachi visited our Erode centre. We particularly discussed about vocational activities which are suitable for our students at Erode. The visit by the team concluded with some activities like Diya colouring, and making some products using coconut shells etc. Lekshmi Ramesh conducted individual parent meetings to discuss the school program. She also met the staff in individual capacity and addressed their concerns.

On 22nd and 23rd November, the pre vocational students organized a tuck-shop and sold decorative diyas and peanut balls. Our students, namely Sairam, Oviya, Anuranjana, Hari Viswanth and Soundara Rajan actively participated in this event. They welcomed the parents cordially, explained about the products which were being sold and also collected the money from the buyers.

Progress Report Day

What's more difficult than creating the report cards of once own students? Writing a unique and meaningful report card and making remarks can be a daunting and tedious task for teachers. Every teacher will agree that writing unique report card comments is important as it helps the parents to understand their child's progress. It can help parents to take necessary action by understanding the report card comments.

On 4th November, our V-Excel Centre conducted the result day. Teachers discussed their students' progress with their parents, development in academic or social behaviour. Parents were given information regarding their kid's progress and the home program

Providing specific information about how a child is doing in core subjects helps parents know exactly what to expect on the grades portion of the report card and what the child needs to work on.

Diwali Celebration - 8th November

Diwali is a significant festival that is widely cherished and celebrated all across India. It lasts for five days according to the Hindu calendar. The festival holds special importance for various religious communities. Hindus view it as a celebration of light conquering darkness, good prevailing over evil, and wisdom overcoming ignorance. It's also a time to express gratitude for the harvest and seek blessings for prosperity in the month of Kartika. Diwali is a special occasion where families and friends gather to enjoy and celebrate. During this time, individuals clean their houses, decorate them with oil lamps known as diyas, and share and exchange gifts. It's also a time to savour traditional goodies, sweets and savoury dishes. Additionally, in certain regions of India, people also enjoy lighting fireworks.

On 8th November we celebrated the festival of lights. Children and teachers came dressed in their traditional best. Rangoli and diyaas added glamour to the festivities. Dr Mejabin,Dr.Madhura Vibhute, Mrs Samruddhi all of them were invited as special guests. Function began with the lighting of the earthen lamps by the guests. Our coordinator Mrs.Sunita Vaidya gave them a warm welcome and shared some information about V-Excel Centre. As an element of surprise, we had arranged for a music troupe to entertain our students and guests. Smt Sujata Deshpande with her team sang songs. Some of our students participated and sang songs too. The highlight of the celebration was the bursting of crackers and distribution of some goodies.

In the end, the children were treated to delectable food. All the students had an enjoyable time with their friends and teachers. The ambiance was all about cheer and love to gear them up for their Diwali Vacations.

Childrens Day Celebration - 24th November

Children's Day is marked by expressions of love, gifts and pampering of students. Children's Day is celebrated in India to raise awareness about the rights, education, and welfare of children. It is celebrated on 14 November every year on the birthday of the first Prime minister of India, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, who was known to have been fond of children. This time Childrens day was celebrated on 24th November. On this occasion Nima Women forum branch Solapur, Anushree Mundhewadi (State president),Dr Sarika Homkar( President of Solapur branch), Dr Vaishali Agwane, (the treasurer), Dr Aparna Ingale(secretary), and three Executive members Dr Ashwini Degaonkar, Dr Ashmane and Dr Gomati Thengil joined the celebration with our children.

They visited all the classrooms and saw how the one-on-one session is conducted and visited therapy rooms. Our Paedeatric therapist Dr Radhika shared information about occupational therapy and how it works on children with hyper activities etc. The Nima Women forum distributed study material to our students and they ensured their support for V-Excel in the future too. The guests had brought fruits for our students and using the fruits, our vocational students made fruit salad and distributed them to all children.

Picnic Day - 30th November

A school picnic is an event where students go outside with teachers and enjoy the day together. Our V-Excel centre planned a picnic for our students at Revansiddeshwar temple on 30th November. The students came in colourful outfits and brought snacks with great excitement. All the students were divided into groups, having 8 to 9 students each and the teachers engaged them in some interesting sessions involving co-ordination activities, balancing, painting, sticking, balloons and bubbles blowing activity. Later the students were taken one by one, for the darshan of Lord Revansiddeshwar.

Later the students played games like blindfold and running around and dancing to peppy music and enjoyed eating their packed snacks.

November 14th, 2023, we celebrated Children's Day in Abhyasa Kendra, Srirangam Unit. On that day, all the staff arranged a colouring activity for the children in the Remedial and Vocational Unit.

Because of this, all children and staff assembled in the main hall (Functional Academic Activity Hall). Then they explained why we are celebrating Children's Day and started the colouring activity.

All children from the Remedial and Vocational Units eagerly participated and coloured the pictures. Once the colouring activity ended, they cut the cake for Children's Day celebration. All children and staff joined together and cut the cake with joy. One of our trainees Ms. Mythili K, cut the cake and fed all the other children. Finally, we all took a group photograph.

Dr. S. Manju, Educational Psychologist was invited as chief guest for the kids day celebration on 14-Nov-2023 by Arokiamatha Matric Hr. Sec. School, Udumalai Road, Pollachi.

Diwali Celebration at V-Excel Pandharpur Centre:

V-Excel’s Pandharpur Center organized a Diwali celebration program on November 8, 2023, in Pandharpur. This centre was newly established in the current academic year, starting in July 2023. Initially, it began with 3 autistic kids and has now expanded to cater to 13 kids with varying abilities. For the Diwali celebration, our kids were engaged in painting 'diyas' themselves and crafted greeting cards with the help of their teachers. The children thoroughly enjoyed bursting crackers during the festivities. Mr. Subhash Kisanlal Marda, a renowned fertilizer businessman, graced the occasion. Mr. Marda presented traditional Diwali 'faral' packages to the pupils and generously donated to V Excel Centre in Pandharpur, for further development.

November month started with a sale at HPCL Sakthi Ladies Forum, Diwali celebrations, rehearsals for the upcoming performance for singing for the choir and movement therapy practice, followed by internship opportunities for two trainees.

Exhibition Cum Sale Of V-Excel Products At HPCL Sakthi Chennai Club On 6th Nov 2023 At HPCL Office, Egmore

HP Shakti Chennai club gave an opportunity to NGOs to participate in an exhibition cum sale of products. The YES team manned the stall in the morning, and the VTU team, consisting of trainee Lokesh, volunteer Rohini and Manivannan, took over post lunch. We received an overwhelming response from the visitors, who appreciated the uniqueness and quality of our products. It was heartening to see our products stand out among those of other NGOs. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with HP Shakti Chennai Club and contribute to such a noble cause and would like to thank Ms. Monika Mathur and Ms. Gayathri Shankar, for keen interest in our participation, encouraging and supporting us in making this event a success for VTU.

Diwali Celebration At VTU ON 10th Nov-2023

An incredible Diwali celebration took place on Friday, 10th November 2023, at VTU.

The joy and enthusiasm radiated throughout the event as trainees and staff came together to light Diya's and candles, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness. It was heartwarming to see everyone immerse themselves in the festive spirit, spreading warmth and positivity.

One of the highlights of the celebration was witnessing individuals who used to fear bursting crackers overcome their apprehension. Inspired by their peers' fearless participation, they joined in the festivities with newfound confidence. This display of independence and fearlessness was truly remarkable and a testament to the supportive environment fostered at VTU.

The sight of trainees enjoying themselves, laughing and having fun created a beautiful atmosphere filled with happiness.

We would like to extend our gratitude to all those who actively contributed towards making this celebration a success.

Tarang On Theme Colors Of Flute - 17th Nov 2023 At BVB

The theme for Tarang for the month of November was "Colors of Flute," and it featured the incredibly talented Shantala Subramanya on the flute, accompanied by the mesmerizing voice of Abhianaya Shenbagaraj, Bharath on the keyboard and Hariharn on the mridangam and Kunnakol.

Tarang's monthly themes, curated by our wonderful coordinator, Usha Suresh, continue to surprise and captivate all. Each month various instruments are introduced in an unique way and it becomes an interesting experience for all our staff, students and trainees.

The performance this time was nothing short of extraordinary. As soon as Shantala started playing the flute, there was pin drop silence in the auditorium, and all were transported to a divine world.

The rhythmic pattern of Kunnakol by Hariharn , was fascinating for all and the students and trainees were keenly observing with great interest.

Good Company On All Saturdays

Volunteers from TQI have joined Good Company, and will regularly collaborate with Rishi to create a vibrant and activity-based environment.

One more trainee Mr. Vaikunt from YES-Enable India Project joined the Good Company. His performance on Violin was nothing short of extraordinary. It brought smiles to everyone's faces and created a warm and joyous atmosphere.

Training Cum Internship At Writer's Café From 22nd Nov 2023

Thrilled to announce trainees Lokesh and Ashwin have received an opportunity to train and intern under Ms. Sharadha, Brand Manager at Writer's Café from 22nd Nov 2023 along with other trainees from YES and KLC. Lokesh has been assigned to the Service department at Adyar branch, while Ashwin will be working in the baking unit at Taramani branch.

VTU teachers/trainers accompanied the trainees for few days to handhold and transition them to the new work environment. The paid training cum internship program is designed for a period of 6 months and performance will be assessed for employability.

Parents of Lokesh and Ashwin were counselled and informed of the internship and are thrilled at the prospects of employment for their ward.

Guest Visits On 15th And 28th Nov 2023

• On 15th November 2023, Ms Narmada, from USA visited VTU. She, appreciated the designs and quality of Saree bags and placed an order for 50 numbers.

• Mr. Jan Uwe, representative and Trustee of Yoga-Vereinigung Rajagoplan, Germany, visited VTU with Chennai Coordinator Ms. Lakshmi Naidu on 28th November 2023. Mr Uwe and Lakshmi, met Mr. Anand, where VTU's expectation and challenges were tabled and the meeting was a grand success.

Light Festival - Karthigai Deepam Festival Celebrations On 27th Nov 2023

We had lighting of lamp festival at VTU where all trainees lit the terracotta lamp and sang songs around it and prayed for the wellbeing of the world.

Vocational Activities/Functional Academics/Therapy And Counselling Sessions

A) Vocational Activities:

• Orders and execution:

KLC placed an order for 240 numbers of block printed cloth coaster and was executed successfully.

YES coordinator Gayathri, placed an order for 20 Pot candles. Under the tutelage of Bhagawathi, different designs were painted by the trainees.

SNEH placed an order for 104 numbers of terracotta mugs. Designs chosen by SNEH team was executed by the trainees and trainers jointly.

• Trainees:

• Ashwin, Lokesh and Priya rehearsed for Choir performance at YES and BVB under the mentorship of Savari and Prerna.

• Trainees underwent Ram's Movement Therapy session once a week for the show to be held on 3rd December 2023.As a follow up Savari conducted practice session for trainees every evening.

• Internship@ Grundfos :

Trainees Chandra and Supraja are collecting personal data from the employees and feeding data in spreadsheet. Due to heavy rain, Grundfos offered work from home option and the internship continued at VTU for the trainees under guidance of their job coach Abhirami.

• Consultation

Three new trainees were consulted by Charu and Usha.They start their program from 1st week of December.

B) Functional academics:

Uma conducted group sessions narrating the beautiful story of Diwali, spreading awareness about safety measures during the bursting of crackers. She also enlightened the trainees on sharing warmest greeting to all the guests and neighbours who graced with their presence during the celebrations.

She also conducted an individual session to Lokesh and Ashwin regarding their readiness for the upcoming internship program.

C) Counselling and Therapy Sessions:

• Jayadevi, conducted individual counselling sessions with the parents, trainees, and teachers. This session provided valuable insights into the trainee's family dynamics.

• Charu, Jaya and Usha made a home visit to a trainee's residence due to ill health of the trainee's mother. During their visit, they had an in-depth conversation with the mother, gaining a deeper understanding of her concerns and apprehensions and motivated her to visit the VTU center to get actively involved in the progress of her ward.

• Vasanth's individual and group therapy session was conducted as per the schedule of twice a week