DO IT RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD

All parents of differently abled children are perpetually concerned about the welfare of their child. The thought of not being able to give their precious child the right kind of environment is disconcerting. If you have a specially abled child, it is important to have a thorough knowledge of his condition. Let’s take for instance, autism. Here are some tips to help you out:

1.Learn about his pattern. Make a diary and keep jotting down things which make him angry, excited, disturbed, happy, etc.  Observe the pattern and it will give you the dos and don’ts to be taken care of in future.

2.Maintain the child’s routine. Autistic children are often resistant to change. Alteration of their structured routine can make them upset.

3.Specialized therapies such as speech, occupational, and physical therapy will benefit your child in unimaginable ways.

Have you ever visited a home for mentally challenged children? The way these small children do activities together irrespective of their conditions is truly incredible. Unlike us, the so-called normal and educated beings, their minds know no judgements. Their innocence is bound to make the coldest hearts melt. If you ever want to do an activity with an autistic child, do read the following:

1.Singing: While it is challenging for them to communicate clearly, these children can make sounds, hum and play musical instruments with the help of some training.

2.Creation of artificial situations: Involving them in artificial emergency situations will not only humour them , but also prepare them for such adverse scenarios. 

3.Playing board games: Starting from very simple ones, you can go on to increase the difficulty levels with their growing age and understanding.

People in India are gradually equipping themselves in dealing with special children. You will find many good special schools in India qualified to take good care of your child. You need to stop fretting if you have a child with special needs, because you have all the help you need. Your child will lead a fulfilling life!

Quality Special Schools Need Sprouting Up

When Mr. Joshi was offered a hefty job abroad, he sure was tempted by the deal. And had it not been for his two disabled kids, schooling of whom was one massive concern, he would have grabbed it without blinking an eye. His decision to move abroad was largely, rather solely, hinged on his kids.

Mr. Joshi was working in Mumbai, Maharashtra when a startling discovery ruffled a few feathers; two of his kids were discovered with autism. It was shattering, and it took more than a while for the truth to sink in. The first impulsive instinct that struck him and his wife was to admit their children into a mentally retarded school. But wouldn’t have that simply implied that they wanted to get rid of the situation? That they did not have the strength to face the reality, no matter how unacceptable and daunting it was?

No parent can ever leave his children in a lurch. While admission into a top school for the mentally challenged was something they could no longer avoid, admission into a good school, the one that would look into the minutest needs of their children was what they had wanted in particular. He recalls how in Mumbai, in the previous centre, his children were not attended to properly. The teachers were disrespectful and as Mr. Joshi realized later, didn’t have the knack of comprehending even the most basic needs of special children.

Not every special school that promises to deliver quality and understanding is capable of doing so. And not every school, special or not, is able to cater to the overall, particularly mental goodwill of the special children. If there was one thing that held Mr. Joshi back from even contemplating a shift, it was a lingering concern that his children, who needed a good mentor as much as they needed him.

Why We Need a Special Educator

If you repeatedly browse through websites looking for PhD programs in special education, you are one of the very few people who truly understand the sanctity of special education. It’s a great thing if you are contemplating a PhD in the field, but you need to revisit your understanding and belief in the same and reinvigorate the interest in the profession before jumping in for PhD.

Here we cover the two most important aspects of special education.

-The need for a special educator,

-The current state of special education.

Special education is an evolving profession, and given the current scenario, needs a much desired leg-up. The centre has been intent on cutting out on special education funding to a remarkable shortfall in budget and patchy economic conditions, which is unfortunate, to say the least. By pursuing a PhD, individuals can tackle the issue at a better level, with a better understanding, says a trainee at a home for mentally challenged children.

Why do we need special education teachers?

Special education teachers do a tremendous job and their work is not to be understated. Special educators are in a better position to advocate for children with special needs. There comes a time when only so much could be done in the classroom and a PhD becomes inevitable to developing new and innovative policies that are a driver the academic narrative.

We need special education instructors because we need to help students who need them. A student with a traumatic brain injury is often rebuked by different people. He certainly deserves someone, apart from his family and parents, to understand him and help him out with daily needs. A general education is not as much trained to work with students with special needs. It is but a special educator who crafts an individualized and a detailed plan to put it the student’s experience and learning, says a special education teacher from a special school in India.

Schools for Special Children

Special schools are orchestrated for children with special needs; children with physical, communicative, mental or social difficulties are often sent away to these special schools for doing so is considered best in their interests. 

The enrolment process in the best school for the blind or in any top school for autism kids is not that difficult or challenging for it is not based on any official law governing the educational authorities. The best way to know whether the school is fit for your child is to ask a lot of questions and have all your doubts regarding the same removed. Try to put your child in some imaginary situation before he actually joins in and know whether he will be able to survive in the school or not.

If you are able to zero out on a private school, fees might come across as a cause of worry. But these days many organizations are offering financial aid and scholarship programs. Community support, scholarships and bursaries and tax breaks can surely help a way out with the fees.

The benefits of attending a private special needs schools are plenty. The curriculum is specially crafted to look into the divergent needs of the special kids and to meet the needs of each unique student to the best of his learning ability. Private schools usually allow the kids to learn and grow as per their accord, without being too overwhelming and rigorous on them. They provide kids with all the help before, as well as after the school. 

Private special schools also have arrangements for providing extra-curricular activity to children. This way, students can learn, explore and develop their interests and potential through a wide variety of out of the class practices like sports, dance, music and arts. These activities help them grow out of their shell.

What Can A Mainstream School Do Towards Deaf Children?

Mainstream education programs, especially those in India, aren’t usually thought of us very inclusive in their approach towards special needs children. However you can make a difference by starting off deaf supportive culture in yours. It’s a small step to take, just to begin with, but it goes a long way in creating a more responsible and tolerant society of young pupils who are the future. 

So if you are planning to make such pioneering changes in your institute, following tips from the school for the deaf can help.

• Before you even launch up the initiative be aware that deafness or any special need for that matter is a permanent condition. So the attempt trying to make a change should also span the year. So whatever support activities you perform should be observed—even if on a very small scale—all year long.

• History helps here. Just as Black history and successful names from back then is a source of motivation and pride for the African American society, a special class on such notable people with special needs can be of great help. Arrange for interaction with adult hard hearing or deaf individuals to sensitize children.

•  You don’t have to be a special education school to hire deaf people. There are enough talented people out there from the community. Hire them and set an example. You can also involve other hard hearing individuals to be a part of the program. There are deaf story tellers who work for the cause.

• In order to let the students learn about employment, task inclusion and support, take them on a visit to where deaf people are employed.

•  A tie-up with a school for the deaf can also be beneficial for cross cultural programs and familiarization sessions. It will not only help the pupils relate to deafness but will bring the special children closer to mainstream society.

For more Details :
Visit us: http://mbcnschool.org/
 
 

Challenges and Concerns of Families for Mentally Retarded

Mental Retardation- the two words put together perpetuates offence of the worst variety. But then, can its existence be denied?

Looking at the surge in the cases off late, clearly not. Yet, there are people, especially parents, children or relatives of the people affected by it who can’t bring themselves to deal with the situation. Acceptance, denial, self-blame- these are only few of the roadblocks that come in the way of a comprehensive solution to the malaise, says a special education teacher.

          Acceptance:

Once the news of the child’s inability to learn and grow as a normal kid breaks out, the family of the child finds it but difficult to come to terms with the situation. While many families tend to go from one doctor to another to for a cure, they forget that mental retarded is not a disease but a syndrome caused by genetic factors. The parents need to take action to enable the child to make most of his potential by involving him in all activities. Taking him to doctors and seeking medication for him won’t do any good.

           Self-blame:

More often than not, parents blame themselves for the condition of their child, says a teacher from a mentally retarded school. They feel that it is their lack of care and concern that the child is being made to bear the brunt of.

             Stigma:

Prejudices and stigma associated with the condition stall the growth of the child more than anything else does. Most parents feel that it is a matter of shame that their child is not like others. As a result, they keep their children in confines of their homes and seldom allow them to live a normal life.

      Behaviour problems:

Not all parents can take the condition in their stride and take care of it patiently. Patience wears thin when parents have to put up with the odd behaviour of their child in addition to handling house chores and work.

Hiring Domestic Help in a Family with a Special Child

Taking care of a special child can become a little overwhelming you are trying to manage all fronts of life alone. Parenthood becomes a full time job while work and family stay just as engaging as they ever were. So, hiring domestic help to smoothen things out is only obvious. But before you do that you must realize that they will be your extended family. And being a part of your home, they need to share a friendly equation. Especially, if your child will be dependent on the helper or the arrangement includes him spending time alone with your child then it is extremely important that you have the right person for the job, says a teacher at a special school.

However, judging a book by its cover can be difficult. So here are a few tips to help you read between the lines and hire someone who is compassionate as well as skilled.

• Foremost, make sure that the concerned person at least has some basic education. Looking for that in India can be comparatively costlier but not difficult. This will ensure that if need be, you can rely on the person to access emergency help, time your kid’s medication, and a lot of other things advices a teacher at a mentally challenged school.

• Look for someone who preferably has worked with kids in the house, if not special children.

• Try to assess from their reaction, what they feel about your child and his disability.

• Ask them if they could manage taking care of the child if you were away for a while, even if you never intend to do so. Their reaction and body language will give you a fair idea.

• Word of recommendation from previous employers matters. Try to find their work history.

• Police verification is mandatory. Get your domestic help registered at your nearest police station, if you haven’t done that already.

• Explain to them the exact nature of responsibilities they are expected to take care of.