
The latest addition to the foundation, this centre has adopted the model of integration. The age-group catered to is between birth to five years. Children with special needs along with children with normal development pattern interact and learn together. The integration ratio is 5:16 i.e five children with special needs to sixteen children with normal development patterns.
The approach is activity based learning. The VISION is to mainstream children with special needs in schools identified in the local community and to provide assistance to children and school authorities to adapt with each other. The services are mainly extended to children from the lower socio-economic group.
The entire activity area is divided into four play stations namely Art and Craft, Physiotherapy section, Music corner and Toy section. The session starts with a small prayer and greeting with each other, after which one adult takes a group of five children to one of the play stations. The group stays in the section for fifteen minutes and then switches to the next. In each play station children are encouraged to interact with each other e.g. in Art and Craft section a child with a special need is given a right posture while other children apply colour on his palm for hand painting activity. After two play stations, there is a thirty minute snacks time when children are served with hot snacks followed by activities in the remaining two stations. Children are then taken for fifteen minutes of outdoor activity. The session concludes with fifteen minutes of music.
Apart from providing direct services to children, the centre also aims at community based rehabilitation and by the very nature of their work, inclusion in the true sense of the term. |