Paediatrician Dr Manasi was worried when her son Khush, diagnosed with dyspraxia – a neurodevelopmental condition affecting motor skills, struggled to cope with academics in his regular school. He was shy and withdrawn, but that was more than seven years ago, today he confidently steps out, changes two buses to reach his regular college where he has enrolled to study BA, courtesy Citi Academy for Special Education (CASE) at Society for Rehabilitation of Crippled Children (SRCC) in Haji Ali.
Sarla, a domestic helper, was devastated when her daughter Priti was diagnosed with dyslexia and was concerned with the thought that her daughter would never have a normal future. With limited financial resources, more so after she lost her husband a few years back, Sarla wondered what kind of future she could afford for her daughter. Today, Priti has overcome her disability and enrolled in a college to do a graduation course in Hospitality, thanks to CASE at SRCC.
Milan, diagnosed with autism, found reading and writing an insurmountable challenge; wanted to make friends but did not know how. After he joined SRCC CASE in 2013, he participated in activities like yoga, drama, crafts, painting, music and cooking and excelled in oration, drama, singing and English. “He has bloomed into a fine individual now,” says Milan’s mother Nirmala.
She is grateful to CASE which helped her see her son’s strengths, an insight, she says, which will help him choose a career path.
MS-CIT class in session |
Training with CASE at SRCC
Khush, Priti and Milan are just a few children with special needs among many who have finished or are still doing National Institute of Open Schooling courses from CASE at SRCC. Originally established in 1948 for rehabilitation of children with polio and cerebral palsy. In 1975 they began the first of its kind Remedial Educational Therapy, a department for children with learning disabilities. In 1983, this became the Special Education Therapy Department, a full- fledged department for children with differential learning needs like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, mild autism, attention deficits, children prone to epileptic fits and slow learners. They celebrate their 40th anniversary on August 10.
Besides encouraging specially-abled children to appear for the Standard State Board (SSC) exams and offering the curriculum of Open Board Education (OBE) levels A and B prescribed by the NIOS, they encourage children and expose them to educational day trips, overnight trips to Aurangabad, Indore, Pune, Lonavala with outdoor activities like star gazing, walk on natural trails, monsoon treks thrown in for good measure.
Art work by the students in Pottery |
Grooming students, equipping them with self esteem
“After his course at the amazing institute, my son has emerged self-confident. It is wonderful how the therapists there groom the child’s self-esteem. My son had problems with his motor skills and could not write, so he would feel out of place in a regular school; but here they equipped him with iPad and tablet and writing was no longer a hurdle,” Dr Manasi gushes, overflowing with gratitude for the institute which gave her son a shot at normal life.
Priti’s mother chokes with emotion when she says she owes her daughter’s progress to the centre. “SRCC has made me whatever I am today,” says Priti, who took baking classes in Training and Skills at CASE (TASC) and found she had a flair for baking. She then interned at a local sweet shop and is now pursuing an undergraduate course in Hospitality.
TASC master Mala Ramadorai |
Taking up a TASC
“TASC is something we started last year where these children are taught certain core skills like fluency in spoken English, soft skills, financial literacy and MS-CIT. They also can opt for any one of the courses from Baking, Cooking, Gardening or Pottery,” says Nandita Sirur, Director Academics, Case Special Education Therapy Department and TASC.
“We get so much love from them, it is really overwhelming,” says Mala Ramadorai, Chairperson Special Education Therapy Department. The brain behind TASC, Mala says this year they have involved children in making food from millets, “…because it is the year of Millets,” quips Sadhana, a specially-abled student who had just finished a group baking session where they made bajra tarts.
Groups of children do all the activities in rotation, and they are really good at what they do, says Nandita displaying a variety of pottery art products handmade by the children, many of which are sent as gifts to trustees.
“We teach children so that they can go out in the society and make a career for themselves,” Nandita adds.
Director Nandita Sirur |
Group activities in rotation
“If it wasn’t for SRCC, I would have never known my daughter was so talented,” Sarla says.
Dr Manasi and Sarla both express their gratitude to the teaching and therapy staff at the centre for making their children what they are today, from uncertain, reserved students in regular schools to confident individuals who walk out into the world with a spring in their step.
Nirmala sums it up perfectly with, “A flower needs a few things to bloom like soil, water, sunshine, CASE is the sunshine factor.”
(Names of parents and students have been changed to protect identity)
