Institutions

Asha Medical Foundation

Asha Medical Foundation, a Bangalore based NGO and part of Karta Group, has recently started the Asha Integrated School, a specially, state–of– the art school in Bangalore for chi9ldren with autism, speech and learning disabilities. The Foundation has entered into a long–term arrangement with Dr Laurie Sperry, a renowned autism expert recognized by the US Government, to provide the best possible education to autistic children in India.

Stress on human values

This school is committed to bringing out the human potential and creating productive lives for children on the autistic spectrum disorder with autism and for those with slow learning disabilities, learning disabilities and behavioural difficulties associated with communication. The school is functioning on quality indicators identified by the National and Research Council's Report (2001).

Expert faculty

Asha's expert faculty of over10 includes post graduates, clinicians and teachers with expertise in the fields of autism education, applied behaviour Analysis, Speech Pathology, Special education, Dance, Drama, Nutrition, Physical Therapy and more.

Inaugurating the school, Katharin Zimpel Vangal, Founder and Chairperson, Asha Medial Foundation, said, “The Foundation is committed to alleviate the suffering of the large number of autistic children in India and unleash their hidden potential. We recognize that this a monumental task. But, as the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This school is our first step towards helping children with autism lead a near normal life.”

Infrastructure

The new school building has been fitted with classrooms, a sensory integration room, dance/drama room, computer room and mood room/cozy corner. The Library, Resource Centre and Computer Lab has fifteen computers with Internet access. In addition to an educational facility for the students, the building houses early intervention services, diagnostic, referral and medical services.

Comprehensive treatment

Asha follows a comprehensive treatment therapy for kids. This involves a combination of intensive behavioural therapy, speech and language therapy and special education. The Treatment includes various therapies like behaviour modification therapy, social skills training, communication therapy, drama therapy, dietary modification therapy and medication Therapy.

Setting targets

Each student will nave a multi–disciplinary team that sets targets and identifies progress and the curriculum is individual and aimed at meeting the needs of the students. Opportunities for practical and functional activity are maximized for children who have difficulties generalizing activities and concepts, or are developmentally unable to cope with abstract ideas.

Asha offers a multi–disciplinary approach ensuring consistency of the programme across all the areas and is committed to providing a safe secure environment in which the students feel happy and are able to develop and to establish an effective and mutually supportive working partnership between home and school. There and Individualized Education Programmes (IEP's) for ach student. Individualized programs described strategies for providing the student with acceptable and understandable ways of communication, teaching situation-appropriate social behaviours and providing a safe and secure environment in which the student in which the students feel happy and are able to develop.

The programs basically evolve on the principle of TEAACH (Treatment Education of Autistic Children in the Community) and are well structured, tightly organized and a lot of fun, mostly due to the very high level of reinforcement. They include support groups, social and educational services for families: a special needs library and independent living training (Basic Living, Daily living).

Asha Integrated School for Autism and Learning Disabilities is located at Indiranagar No 2281/B, 14th “A” Main 1st Floor, HAL 2 and Stage, Indiranagar Bangalore–560008 www.ashais.org

Source: Special school for autistic children. Deccan Herald, Bangalore 16 November 2007.

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Abhiyan

Abhiyan is a voluntary organisation working with physically disabled children and the families of person with multiple disabilities. It endeavors to improve of their quality of their lives by caring to their special needs thus helping in the process of their ultimate involvement and integration into the mainstream of society. Abhiyan was established in 1998 by a group of like minded physically challenged persons with an aim to provide personal development and rehabilitative services with a difference to person with multiple disabilities.

Programme Activities:

  1. Formal and Non formal Education: Abhiyan is committed to provide quality holistic education to children with multiple disability from poor economical backgrounds. A lot of importance is be given to the child's psychology at an early age so that they loose the psychological fears or complexes they may have towards learning. This encourages the children to think independently and become more self responsible

  2. Alternative Vocational Skill Enhancement: The Objective of Vocational Training is to enable the Children with multiple disabilities economically independent through functional skills; social, emotional development and training in available option for open employment, self employment and ultimately move towards self–sufficiency.

  3. Health Care Services: Health Care activities are operated and supported by the Doctors, physiotherapist and paramedical in providing various kinds of services according to the need of physically challenged children.

  4. Recreational Activities: It is aimed in restoration and promotion of good mental health and to prepare and motivate the children to be dare, active, competitive, confident, developed mentally, physically, emotionally through recreational activities Recreational activities are provided to encourage and develop the talents and qualities hidden in disabled children, which can not come out due to lack of opportunities and confidence.

  5. Advocacy and Awareness Programme: Main objective of the advocacy and awareness programme is to facilitate the disabled children, their family, community regarding the problems of physically challenged children and the latest development regarding the laws and rights of disabled children and empower them in accessing existing facilities within the legal system. To focus on creating awareness about such children in the community and leading to empowerment.

Abhiyan Disabled Friends Club

Following are the special activities which are being grant under this program:–

  1. Visit to Tourist Places: Abhiyan organises excursion fun tour to such tourist spots where it is difficult for our friends. Such physically challenged person who cannot go out from their home because of not having all the resources like lack of transport facilities, escorts, accessibilities or/and any other related reasons. For such special person, these tours and trips are organized at times

  2. Need Based Counseling: To solve the various kinds of problems faced by disabled person, specialists and counselors are available to provide consultation like marital, Educational and physiological problems.

  3. Employment Related Assistance: To get employment for physically challenged person has been the most different task at the outset. Abhiyan has been contacting various organizations in this field so that more and more handicapped people get jobs according to their caliber and ability. A placement cell has been set–up in which various companies send their requirements jobs available in their concerns and this is matched with the data of registered candidates.

  4. Sports Programme: To motivate and encourage such special person, sports competition are organized which is also an important part of life.

  5. Sing–o–Dance session: Abhiyan organizes a musical get together once in a month in which all the disabled and non disabled members enjoy musical evening.

Contact: Director, Abhiyan, J–72, Arya Samaj Road, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi–110059.

Email: Abhiyan_foundation@yahoo.com

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