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Strides Newsletter - September 2024 - Issue 219

Early Intervention and V-Excel Remedial Centre

From the staff of Early Intervention and V-Excel Remedial Centre

Greetings from Early Intervention and the Remedial Unit!

Cognitive distortion

A training session was conducted on the 31st of August 2024, by Mr. Surya Suresh, Social Worker, EI/VRC, on ‘Cognitive distortion'.

The session began with what cognitive distortion meant, in how it is a problematic or exaggerated form of cognitive biases. Cognitive biases refer to shortcuts our brains take in processing the information around us, to reduce mental burden. Although it may not sound as bad, a cognitive bias shifts our thinking / perception / behaviour outside rationality, where we turn away from objective data and look at things through the lens of our subjective reality. This leads to misinterpretations, misjudgements, or ‘distortions'. Cognitive biases operate both at conscious and unconscious levels.

Followed by this, a few forms of cognitive distortions were explored further, namely:

1. Black-White thinking: Seeing things only in extremes, with there being no room for a middle ground (grey area). It is also known as binary / all or nothing / polarised thinking.

2. Should statements: This refers to placing unreasonable expectations on yourself, and/or other's behaviours.

3. Jumping to conclusions: Just as soon as one observes (sees/hears/perceives) something (be it action or inaction), they go straight to a conclusion, without thinking it through. It takes two forms:

a. Mind reading - Assuming without knowing, based on our past experiences / based on what someone did before / said before / or assuming based on what we think or feel about ourselves, at that moment or we assume based on our fears / sense of insecurity / sense of self.

b. Fortune telling –We assume what is going to happen in the future. It is similar to mind reading where we are assuming but the difference lies in the target of assumption, which is the future, in this case.

Followed by the explanation on each of the forms of cognitive distortions, example statements (that reflect our thoughts) were provided. As part of the session, an activity was crafted for the participants where they would have to identify the cognitive distortion based on the statement provided, and come up with alternate thought(s), to restructure the distorted thought.

Followed by the activity, the participants raised questions as to how they would be able to identify and deal with cognitive distortions. The last part of the session involved a brief explanation on the cognitive triangle; how thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interconnected. Six participants took part in the session.

Vinayaka Chaturthi (September 6th 2024)

Noting Ganesh Chaturthi, an altar was set with an idol of Ganesha, alongside a figurine made using a hand puppet that was decorated like Ganesha. A small puja was performed to express our gratitude and to receive the lord's blessings.

Onam celebrations (September 16th 2024)

Pookalam, a floral carpet or flower pattern made during Onam in Kerala, is generally circular in shape to represent different deities such as Lord Ganesha, Shiva and Shakti, Brahma, and King Mahabali.

Pookalam is a significant part of the Onam harvest festival, which is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is believed to visit Kerala during the festival. The pookalam is a creative and precise arrangement that requires an eye for color.

Noting Onam, a pookalam was made followed by a small dance by the staff.

Wonder exercises workshop

A two-day training programme organized by the Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) and Guru Krupa Foundation Inc. was conducted at Anandam Special School on the 24th and 25th of September 2024. It was on "Wonder exercises", exercises to help address the sensory needs of children with learning difficulties / disabilities. The session was conducted by Ms. Yashodhara, Special educator, MDA.

A variety of exercises were demonstrated (both video and hands-on) and the instructions to carry out the same for the child was shared. Ten educators from the Early Intervention and Remedial Unit participated in the workshop.

• Stories of change:

o Shobana ma'am and Kaviya:

Miss Kaviya Saravanan, aged 14 years, was given consultation in the Early Intervention and V-Excel Remedial Center on January 19, 2024. The primary concerns with which she was brought in were her speech and academic performance. She was assessed and found to have challenges in addition to intellectual impairment and required occupational therapy to help regulate her sensory concerns and remedial intervention to help bridge the gaps in her learning and development. She has been taking interventions with us since March 2024.

Kaviya is soft-spoken and keeps a smiling face. One of the areas that we worked on with her was the identification of numbers and letters. Shobana ma'am took the functional approach to this, where Kaviya was taught to identify letters from her name and her parent's names. Now, she is able to pick out the letters from her name when they are given in a mix (but requires a visual prompt in the form of her name).

When Kaviya was taught things pertaining to safety (emergency numbers and good and bad touch), Shobana ma'am happily notes that she took it up very well in that even when asked after a significant gap in time (the summer break), Kaviya was able to answer correctly.

o Seetha ma'am and Shashaank:

Master Shri Shashaank, aged 6 years and 2 months, was given consultation in the Early Intervention and V-Excel Remedial Centre on August 9, 2023. The primary concerns with which he was brought in were his behaviour and hyperactivity. On assessment, it was evident that he required occupational therapy to help regulate his behavioural and sensory concerns. He started taking interventions with us from August 16, 2023.

Shashaank is very affectionate and always smiling. He loves to sing and comes to class singing. On days that he is not perky, or when he comes to class crying, Seetha ma'am cheers him up with songs. When she starts singing, he too joins in and sings away. Owing to sensory needs, he requires prompting to help pay attention. Seetha ma'am holds his hand out and gently rubs his palms to help him focus and pay attention to the activity at hand. Because of his affinity for singing, new concepts are more easily taught to him in the form of rhymes. Using rhymes also helps when he is being stubborn.

For him to engage in gross motor tasks, Seetha ma'am used physical boundaries (rings, planks, or bricks) to help regulate his hyperactive behavior, where he is to engage in the activity only within the bounds of the marking. Shashaank dislikes writing and needs a lot of encouragement and motivation to engage in the task. Seetha ma'am gives him plenty of high fives and praises, acknowledging his progress at every turn.

Kaleidoscope Learning Centre

From Shashikala Subramaniam's Desk

The month started with the exciting news of Niharikaa's training confirmation in Writer's Cafe, Gopalapuram branch from the 2nd of the month. She had 3 more trainees joining her in this batch and to our delight Rekha (our student) was also there to help her settle down. Niharikaa has been coming back to KLC every Wednesday to meet her friends, teachers and the counselor.

Bazaar and showcasing:

Symphony Bazaar at Chajjer Bhavan, Gopalapuram had a counter with products from all the units of V-Excel, manned by staff and trainees of KLC. It was a good experience for the trainees to demonstrate their skills in selling the products and handling the money, which they have been learning. The people who attended the Bazaar were interested in the products and were patient with the trainees while they explained about them and facilitated the sales.

Vocational spaces created:

A long ago dream of having separate spaces for our vocations, in the limited spaces available, is being realised slowly. At the beginning of the year, we moved to a bigger stitching room as most of our work in vocations happens there. The next step was taken this month when a separate room for carpentry was created and inaugurated on 6th September. The room has areas for the tools and raw materials and a working table.

Festivals and Celebrations:

Ganesh Chaturthi

The molding of clay into Ganesha's of different forms by each class in KLC has always been the way how Ganesh ji came to celebrate his birthday. Clay work plays an important part of therapy for the students – the soothing touch of wet clay, pounded, rounded, moved into the shapes desired to make forms, not only during Ganesh Chaturthi but also for many of their main lesson blocks.

Ganesha's were brought into the decorated space by each class, arranged, sang for, danced, the birth of Ganesha story narrated and a pooja was carried out to celebrate him.

The visit of Mahabali – Onam:

Onam has always been a very joyful occasion in KLC. King Mahabali's visit to KLC brought together the parents (sourcing the coloured flowers), the students and teachers – in segregating the flowers and decorating the elaborate rangoli step by step delicately and uniformly, in the order of the youngest to the oldest. It also brought in the other departments who helped us to complete the flower rangoli and sang and danced with us.

August 23rd Friday

Navarathri – Dussehra celebrations:

This year's Dussehra celebrations had the students make their own statues and figures with clay – Krishna, the Gopika's and the cows, which were on display in the Golu along with the Greek ships which participated in the War of Troy which they learnt about. Songs were sung and a pooja was performed. It also marked the end of stories in different grades, where the students and teachers performed dances and a drama of their main lessons. Dance about Dashavatar from Grade 3, Greek dance and the march to the war of Troy and a short drama of the life of baby Krishna who escaped the jaws of death from Putana the demoness sent by Kamsa.

September Tarang with a Difference:

The combination / coming together of both Dance and Live Singing in Tarang was a first in the last 14 years of Tarang's history and it was made possible by Sai Vignesh an eminent vocalist and Ramya a talented and versatile Bharatnatyam dancer in this episode of "Isaiyaal Inaithom – Paatum Bharathamum". The experience was divine and the whole auditorium was moved by their performances. Incidentally these artists got married a few months ago and this was their first performance together on stage.

Parents Meetings:

Talk related:

Lakshmi Sudhakaran, our OT consultant spoke to parents about the needs of the children and young adults and how to orient themselves towards the future as parents, when they are constantly being met by fear and doubt. It was informative and left the parents with some solace regarding the future of their children.

Trip to Shirdi, to meet the Land where Sai Baba lived:

Plans are afoot for a 3–4-day trip for the senior school students who learnt about Shirdi Sai Baba, in the month of January 2025. An initial meeting with the parents to update them about the details of the trip and to get their consent was held.

Teacher's Day Out:

Teacher's Day, this year was an outing for a Tamizh movie of Vijay's (popular demand) and lunch at Rajdhani restaurant at Pheonix Market City, Velachery. Being together, enjoying the movie and lunch was a good experience.

Sharing Experiences:

The Owl House, Goa is a community service initiative that provides skill support to individuals and families with neurological differences. They have Fellowship programs for people interested in working with their students. On the last day of one of their Fellowship training periods, the expert on the panel was Gita Bhalla. Her session consisted of a detailed discussion on the 12 senses, along with in-house expertise of building bridges and parent collaboration, along with a few teachers of KLC.

Experiential Learning:

Grade 5 – Greek civilization their Gods, and the story of The Trojan War – the reasons for it, the process and the culmination of the war – Achilles, Hector, Helen and Paris the protagonists were learnt by the students. In relation to this they visited Mahabalipuram, worked on making Ships that the warriors sailed on, practiced and performed a Greek dance and marched to war on their ships which they performed on the last day of the term.

Grade 3 – Dashavatar – the various forms of Lord Vishnu was the main lesson. In relation to this they visited the Matsya Narayana temple at Uttandi. They left early in the morning to be there before it got hot, and the temple closed. The students were happy to be in the open space, near the sea, in the calm environment of the temple and had a good time experiencing the story of the Matsya Avtar from the teacher. They also took up making "Tamarind Rice – Puli Sadam" from scratch and enjoyed cooking. They practiced a dance and performed for the rest of the school on the last day of the term.

Grade 1 – The Fire Bird and The Hut in the Forest – Fairy tales – where the prince gets married to the princess, where the little Chefs make crispy doughnuts and serve. The Little Chefs of the class got down to the old times where the dough was made on the old fashioned "Aatu Kallu – grinding stone" which is a good proprioceptive activity for the children, along with a sensory activity to feel, touch, grind the dough. They watched while an adult fried the dough in the form of Vadai's, with excitement, awe and anticipation. This was consistently done by them for 3-4 weeks.

KLC closed for the term on September 30th and will reopen after Dussehra on October 12th for the Vijayadashami pooja and will start the second term on 14th of the month. More to look forward to...

Satellite Centers

From Jayanthi Vishwanath at Nashik

5th September: Staff picnic

On a beautiful rainy day, the staff of V-Excel in Nashik enjoyed a rejuvenating staff picnic organized by Anubhuti Travels. The trip was filled with scenic delights as the group visited several breathtaking waterfalls, dams, and enjoyed the natural beauty of the surrounding landscapes. The lush greenery and fresh air provided the perfect escape from their daily routines.

The day was filled with laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories, making this picnic an enriching experience for all the staff members. The combination of nature's beauty, delightful food, and seamless travel arrangements made the outing a resounding success, leaving everyone looking forward to the next adventure with Anubhuti Travels.

7Th September: Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Festival Celebrated with Eco-Friendly Idols.

The Ganesh Festival was celebrated across all three Nashik centers with eco-friendly clay idols, decorated by the children and their teachers. The event included the traditional Aarti, bhajans, and prasad distribution, fostering a spirit of devotion and community. The celebration concluded with the joyful immersion of the idols, accompanied by chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya", promoting environmental consciousness while honouring cultural traditions.

19th September: Id-e-Milad

Id-e-Milad was celebrated on 19th Sep at the Vocational Training Unit. Our trainee Madiha Shaikh spoke about the significance of Id celebration. Id-e-Milad is celebrated to mark the birthday of Prophet Mohammad. People promote love and affection among their friends and relatives by organizing large feasts and doing charitable acts. Our Vocational trainees prepared the sweet Sheer-Korma to mark the celebration of Id-e- Milad.

25th September: Information about Jainism

Mrs. Sonal Kucheria, a parent of a BLA student shared relevant information about His Holiness Vardhaman Mahavir and Jainism with the students of BLA. This event was organized to signify Paryushan Parva, one of the most important Jain festivals which falls in September. This is an 8-day festival which involves fasting, prayers, and meditation to heighten Spiritual intensity. On the last day, the Jains seek forgiveness from all, by saying "Michami Dukadam"

28th September: Seminar

Seminar on Legal Guardianship for parents of adults with special needs.

Shri Bhausaheb Mhasu Narwade, visited the Youth Empowerment Center of V-Excel. His education is BA, DSE [MR] and he is Dr. Devendra Ohra Residential Matimand Vidyalaya has been working in Sangamner since 27 years. All the teaching and non-teaching staff and most of the parents attended the session on legal guardianship. Narwade Sir interacted with the parents in an informal manner, sharing real life experiences, legal clauses regarding persons with special needs and benefits of legal guardianship. The information provided by Sir was very useful, giving both teachers and parents a new perspective on legal guardianship to secure the future of their child with special needs. 

Erode

Teacher's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring and appreciating the contributions of educators around the world. Celebrated on different dates in various countries, the day recognises the crucial role teachers play in shaping the future - by imparting knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and inspiring students. In many countries, Teachers' Day is observed on the birthday of a notable figure in education. In India, it is celebrated on September 5th annually. This date also marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was the second President of India and a renowned scholar and philosopher, born on September 5, 1888.We celebrated Teachers day at Erode V-Excel on 21st sept in a very simple manner. We arranged a lunch and a small compliment to all our staff.

Recognising and understanding colours is a part of the child's cognitive development and essential skill that they will use in their everyday life. Red day was planned as a celebration that helps to introduce and reinforce the colour red in a child's mind making it a fun and an educational experience. Red can symbolize many things including energy, patient, action, new beginnings. So this month we introduced red colour to our students. On 27th of September, all students and staff wore red colour dress and displayed things that were red in our OT Hall.

Tirunelveli

V-Excel Tirunelveli Unit, celebrated Teacher's Day on September 5th. The staff received their gifts and group activities were conducted on 21st September. Children had an opportunity for visiting "STEM" PARK near the new bus stand in Tirunelveli. 15 students attended the outdoor activities. Children's thoroughly enjoyed the park Played with swing, slide, seesaw, pulling and pushing games activities at the park.

Solapur

Workshop On Adolescence - 1st September

On Saturday, August 31, 2024, V-Excel Educational Trust and Maitra Foundation organized a workshop for parents on the topic of adolescence. Psychologist Prajakta Dhumal from the Tathapi Trust in Pune provided guidance to parents on topics such as body literacy, the physical and mental changes children undergo during adolescence, physical hygiene, and the necessary care to be taken. She also discussed how to address these issues when raising special children. Sujata Lohokare, Sunita Vaidya, and Prajakta Dhumal answered the parents' questions.

Celebration of Teacher's Day - 5th September

Teachers' Day is celebrated on 5th September, i.e., the birthday of our former president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Besides being India's former president, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a scholar, teacher and philosopher. In our V-Excel center we celebrated teacher's day on 5th September. Student's prepared greeting cards, banner of happy teacher's day and bouquets to present to their respective teachers.

Students presented to their teachers and celebrated teacher's day with their respective teachers. On occasions of teacher's day members of Lokamagal Bank, visited our V-Excel Centre and honored all the teachers of our Centre. And presented shall as a token of love.

Celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi - 13th September

Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, was celebrated at our V-Excel Center with great devotion and enthusiasm. All students and staff, were in colorful traditional dresses came together to participate in various rituals and festivities during this auspicious occasion. Ganapati making activities conducted in every class. Students participated and made nice art and craft. Colourful Rangoli were made, decoration was made by vocational students and Modak were also prepared by them as Naivedya to Lord Ganesh. Overall students participated very enthusiastically.The celebration began with a ceremonial puja. This marked the commencement of a spiritually significant day. The puja was conducted with traditional rituals, including the lighting of the lamp and Vedic chants. Modak was also offered to Bappa made by our vocational students.

After the puja, all students and staff members gathered with hands folded and heartfelt prayers, they offered their respects and sought the blessings of Lord Ganesha. This moment of devotion allowed everyone to connect with the essence of the festival.

Lastly Visarjan ceremony was conducted.

Visit Of Representative From Azim Premji Foundation - 30st September

The representative of Azim Premji foundation, Ms. Vibha and our regional director Ms. Jayanti visited our V-Excel Centre on 30th September. She first visited our vocational training Center, visited all classes, and met the students. She also interacted with the teacher.

Later she observed occupational therapy in the therapy room. She visited the school part where their classes were going on. She interacted with teachers and asked for experience and information about students. She also attended one-on-one sessions of early intervention students.

Lastly she interacted with parents, asked about changes and experience of their children and guided them in the development of their children.

Abhyasa Kendra, Srirangam

Vinayagar Chathurthi Celebrations

Indian festivals are not mere occasions of revelry; they are profound in their implication. They echo values of unity, gratitude, humility, and reverence, binding communities and reiterating the ethos of 'Unity in Diversity'. India is a land of many cultures and together, there is a festival everyday – yes, 365 days of the year. From changing seasons, ploughing, to harvesting, birth & even death, we celebrate every aspect of life. All in all, festivals became an opportunity to rekindle life and enthusiasm in the varied communities. All the cultures come together as one in a state of complete surrender and celebration.

Teacher's Day was celebrated on 5th September, 2024 at Abhyasa Kendra, Srirangam. All the Special Educators, Therapists, Yoga Instructor, Skill-Trainers, and Admin staff went for the group lunch at Shri Sangeethas.

We celebrated Vinayagar Chathurthi on 6th September 2024 at Abhyasa Kendra, Srirangam. Teachers and students cleaned the classrooms and decorated them for the occasion. Before the celebrations, teachers and students prepared Kozhukattai, the most important prasad, Sundal and flowers and fruits for offering. The teachers and students sang songs in praise of the god and pooja was performed.

From Outreach Remedial Center, Pollachi

Teacher’s Day Celeberation

For Teachers' Day, we celebrated by giving thoughtful gifts to all our dedicated teachers, along with special presents from students to our staff members and managing trustees, Ms. Manju and Mr. Balamurugan. The day included wet painting activities, allowing teachers to express their creativity. This celebration fostered a warm atmosphere of gratitude and respect for our educators.

Vinayagar Chathurthi Celebrations

During our Vinayagar Chaturthi celebration, students and staff came together to honor Lord Ganesha with colorful decorations and heartfelt prayers. The festivities included a traditional clay idol making activity, where students showcased their creativity, and culminated in a joyful procession to immerse the idol, promoting unity and cultural awareness among everyone. This event highlighted the importance of tradition and community spirit within our learning center.

Field Visit

Students of Department of Social Work from NGM college, Pollachi and Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore as a part of their curriculum, visited our center and interacted with therapists and gained valuable insights about various sessions we conduct, including speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, vocational training, and remedial education. This opportunity allowed the interns to observe our tailored approaches and understand the unique needs of exceptional children. The interaction fostered a collaborative learning environment, enhancing the interns’ practical knowledge and reinforcing our commitment to professional development.

Research and Development – Assistive Device Pilot Study

A team of students from Sri Krishna College of Technology, B.E [CSE], Coimbatore, visited our Outreach Remedial Center hosted a presentation tailored to assess the potential knowledge of SLD students, fostering a supportive environment for their growth and development. During this session, they addressed the difficulties faced by SLD students during examinations and explored strategies to overcome them. Our students found the session to be both enlightening and motivating. It was evident that our approach not only provided practical solutions but also fostered a supportive and encouraging environment for their growth.

Group Session for Early Intervention

We conducted a dynamic group therapy session for our early intervention kids and their parents, focusing on playful activities designed to enhance engagement and development. Activities included singing rhymes, a fun challenge of putting a ball in a basket without looking, blowing bubbles with straws, and a taste sensory activity that encouraged exploration using their tongues. This interactive session not only supported skill development but also strengthened the parent-child bond in a supportive and enjoyable environment.

CM Trophy

Three of our Neuro Divergent students proudly participated in the CM Trophy event organized by the Tamil Nadu government, showcasing their skills in shot put. This competition provided an excellent platform for them to demonstrate their athletic abilities and foster a spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship. Their participation not only highlighted their hard work and dedication but also promoted inclusivity and confidence among exceptional children in sports.

From Anandam Special School, Ambattur

Greetings from Anandam Special School!

September 1: Parents Empowerment

Successful IIIrd batch of Computer, Tailoring & Aari work classes were completed by our Parents & Teachers. Orientation for plans to proceed with the learning of aari work, tailoring and computer in the future, was done by the trustees.

September 3:

Mr. Rajesh Batra from Vimochana Trust inaugurated the solar power system at Anandam Special School

September 5

Teacher's Day Celebration at school.

September 6

Teachers day out to Pondichery.

September 8

Dr. Chris Yogam, the major donor visited Anandam Special school.

September 14

Kind Trust presented the Best Teacher award to our principal.

September 15

30 Students from Anandam Special School went to Vel's Carnival in Tambaram. Children enjoyed a lot.

September 16

Onam Celebration was held at school. children came with traditional dress. Teachers performed dance.

September 20

5 Teachers from Anandam Special School attended a Workshop at Sankalp.

September 21 & 22

International Conference on Neuro diversity by Sankalp was attended and paper presentation on PMF therapy was done by our physio therapist Dr. Vaidhehi and her team at Sankalp.

September 22

Real Heros Sports event held at Nehru Stadium was organised by Karma Yogi Trust. 40 students participated and won medals.

September 24 & 25

Wonder exercise training by MDA Resource was organized at Anandam Special School. Teachers from various schools and our teacher participated in this event.

September 27

12 students from Anandam Special School participated in a Cricket sports event at KGF ground, Puzhal Executed by Able Aura Foundation.

September 28

PTA Meeting was held on September 28th at Anandam Special School before the first term closing.

From Therapy & Learning Centre, Pandharpur

Teacher's Day Date: 5/Sep/2024

On 5th September 2024, the students at V-Excel, Pandharpur Center, honoured the teachers and staff on the occasion of Teachers Day, by presenting them with  Shreefal, Rose and Pen. 

Ganapati Festival Date: 7/Sep/2024

On 6th September students and staff together, welcomed God Ganesh. Students did participate in decoration preparation. Students with the help of parents worshiped God Ganesh and distributed prasad.

Vocational Training Unit

From Charumathi Sriram's Desk

September is always a festive month. Planning for Dussehra, followed by receipt and implementation of orders for Navaratri was interesting. New volunteers and introducing trial run of making cupcakes.

* All teachers, staff and support staff participated in the 13th day function of Sita mami which was combined with Teacher's Day celebration on the 5th of Sep 2024 at Sharada.

* We began receiving orders for Navaratri which falls in the next month. Few people visited us and purchased from our existing stock.

* Two new volunteers Ms. Jaya Menon and Valli joined us. They will work with our group for 4 days in a week in the afternoon session.

Initiation Of New Activity – Cup Cakes

Trial run of making of cupcakes with wheat, jaggery and banana was initiated for a week. After the samples were tasted, based on the feedback, we started training the trainees on cupcakes which was sold in the parent's group and at Sreyes outlet. We received overwhelming response and orders.

Tarang On 12th Sept 2024 @ BVB

VTU attended September month Tarang at BVB on Thursday, 12th Sept. It was a wonderful program where Sai Vignesh and his wife a Bharatnatyam dancer, performed. The performance of the duo was stunning. Her expressions especially for the song about different kinds of ‘laughter' was appreciated by the trainees.

Onam Celebration On 14th At VTU Premises

All the trainees brought flowers and a Pookalam was made as part of the Onam celebrations on 14th Sept. Trainees were made to sort the flowers based on the colours, teachers Savari and Jayanthi drew the rangoli along with trainee Sousan and Vishal. All trainees were given small portion of the rangoli to fill with flowers. They enjoyed and we all danced around the same.

Thula Organic Shop - New Customer For Paper Bag Regular Order

We received enquiry for paper bag order on a regular basis from Tula, an organic shop at Indiranagar. Ms. Jhanvi approached us, and we sent samples. It will be a regular order, and six trainees will be in this project.

Jai Hind!

TATTVA 2024 Gift Hamper

* We received order from YES- Tattva team for 160 numbers of double color jute bags for the TATTVA event to be held on 26th Oct 2024. Trainers and trainees started cutting the jute materials and 2 trainees were made to stitch the bags along with two staff.

Mani and Charu discussed internally and registered 6 trainees for the TATTVA 2024. Vasanth and Rishi were assigned to train and prepare the paintings and photos based on the theme "5 elements."

* Charu and Mani coordinated with parent Latha for the weaving board to start the activities for few trainees.

Navaratri Preparations

* Mani created the Navaratri invite for our V-Excel team, parents and staff and this was shared with all.

* Gifts for Navaratri was prepared by all the trainees. Diyas and jute sling bags was designed by Charu and team.

* On 30th all the dolls were cleaned; steps were setup and the dolls were placed by the trainees and staff.

Vocational Activities/Functional Academics/Therapy/Counselling/Movement Dance Therapy

Vocational Activities

Art & Craft

Trainees Meenakshi and Sousan were making sequences and mobile pouch bead strips respectively along with trainer Jayanthi.

Quilling was done by Adrian.

• We received orders for paper bags which will be regular for every month. Six trainees were involved in this project.

Tailoring:

• Jute double colour bags material was measured using template and were cut by the trainees. Two trainees were engaged in stitching the bags. Tags were done by all the trainees.

Block Printing: Trainees printed on the saree bags.

Kitchen Activities:

• Apart from making tea and kanji, new activity of making cupcakes using wheat, jaggery and banana was taken on. Initially volunteers and trainer did trial run and two trainees were assigned for the training. They were able to identify the ingredients, measure, mix, grind and bake.

Music session: • Radha started training bhajans for Navaratri.

Functional academics:

• Uma oriented about the Onam festivals.

• She explained the process of baking of cupcakes

Counselling/therapy/movement

Vasanth and Jaya had regular sessions of therapy and counselling respectively. Jaya met 4 parents this month

Youth Empowerment Services

From Gayathri Suryanarayanan's Desk

Key highlights for the month of September 2024

• Sale at Grundfos

• Celebrations

• o Vinayagar Chathurthi

• o Onam

• Abstract presentation and participation in Learn Conference

• DMT demo

• Oil making demo

• TATTVA preparations

Sale at Grundfos

On 04 September, YES along with VTU team was invited to have a product stall for the employees of Grundfos at their premises. The stall started at 10 am and ended at 4.30 pm. Yuvaraj and Sujanya along with the trainee Arvind Ramprasad set up the products and manned the stall for the first half of the day while the second half of the day was managed by the team from VTU. YES products received muchappreciation, and the Millet Laddoos, Handmade Notebooks, Laptop Sleeves got special applause.

Celebrations

Vinayaga Chaturthi

Vinayaga Chaturthi was celebrated on 06 September in YES. As part of our celebrations, trainees made garlands with colourful beads and a beautiful eco-friendly crown for Lord Vinayaga. Each one of them chose their own pattern and design to decorate the crown. These adorned their Vinayaga idol at home and parents shared the pics with so much excitement. We also had a small puja at the Vinayagar temple.

Onam

On 16 September, we celebrated Onam at YES. Trainees brought beautiful flowers of their choice and all of them, together, made a grand Pookalam which is the highlight of the Onam celebration.

Abstract presentation and participation in the Learn conference

Sankalp and India Inclusion Research Network (IIRN) had organized a conference on Inclusion and Empowerment at the Raintree Hotel in Anna Salai in Chennai on September 21 and 22. The theme of the conference was "Learn 2024 - Neurodiversity Matters."

The objective of the conference was to address critical areas such as livelihood opportunities, workplace inclusion, coping strategies, role of technology and inclusive education.

Ms. Gayathri Suryanarayanan, the Center Coordinator of YES, presented a paper on "Case Studies on Exploring Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Adults with Special Needs." She presented the challenges faced in placing trainees from YES in open employment and the strategies adopted to overcome them.

DMT demo

To reintroduce DMT (Dance Movement Therapy) at YES, we had a demo session by Ms. Dheepthi. Dheepthi is a classical dancer specialized in DMT. She is conducting DMT sessions in various places including Banyan. To understand the process and the importance of DMT for our trainees, Dheepthi was requested to conduct a session for all the trainers on 26 September. Trainers cleared all their doubts regarding DMT and we also discussed how to go about the sessions for our trainees. It was finally decided to start the DMT sessions at YES after Navratri.

Oil making demo

Ms. Shalini, who introduced soapmaking to YES, conducted a hair oil making session at YES. 5 trainers from YES participated in this session and benefited. The session was recorded and documented for future reference and use. This organic oil will add value to the arts and crafts product catalogue and this oil will be part of soap making activity. The costing and packing are yet to be decided, and the product will be launched around Diwali.

TATTVA preparations

YES team is very busy and engaged as TATTVA 2024 preparations are going on in full swing. All the basic things have been finalised which includes the date, venue, timings, and registration. All the participating schools/NGOs have been sent guidelines for participation and the creation of artworks have also begun. Ideas for props and decor are ready and all the promotional materials are also getting ready. The core team from YES had an internal meeting on 24 September with all the other units of V-Excel to explain the process and to seek support wherever needed.