Centre of Special Education for Children with Intellectual Disability

Every child grows in his social world and the education pursued him in the formal institutional setting or otherwise includes to a great extent social activity to transmit a social selection of knowledge. Acquisition of knowledge through active involvement with content and not limitation or memorization of material are at the root of acquisition of knowledge. Here students should have autonomy for their own learning opportunities and for peer collaboration and autonomy encourages students to construct their own knowledge and gain new perspectives through hands on experiences rather than follow prescribed information.

Education is to help to generate and promote learning among the learners.

In spite of pandemic situation of COVID-19 in the year 2020-21 all over the Country and State, School for the children with Intellectual Disability (ID) of Open Learning Systems (OLS) continues its efforts to provide learning experiences by providing selflearning material through online classes to children and parents to facilitate the growth and all-round development of the children. The education, we aim at, is more meaningful in that it enables our children to cope with the day-to-day living within the family with greater confidence and to ultimately face the community and defend their rights to a life with dignity. OLS has been providing service to children with varying abilities in the age group of 0 to 18 years through center based as well as home-based management.

Our groups are done on the basis of what exactly children are able to do i.e. his/her current level of functioning. Our priority is to help in the development of self – independent and self-sufficiency of the children. The task is very difficult because each special child is unique and in nature. Due to tireless efforts of the professionals and strong will power of our children to improve, the children showed their excellence in different field in national and international level. For the last 20 years our differently able children have been taking part in the Special Olympics movement at the state, national and the international level. It is a very special event not only for the children but also for the parents.

Grouping has been carried out as per the Functional Assessment Checklist for programming (FACP) developed by Department of Special Education, National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disability (NIEPID),a premier institute for the persons with Intellectual Disability under Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MS&JE), Government of India. It is based on the ability and chronological age into different levels such as:

• Preprimary Class (3 – 6 Years)
• Primary – I Class (7-10 Years),Primary – II Class (9 – 14 Years)
• Secondary Class (11 – 14 Years) 17
• Pre-Vocational Class – I (15 – 18 Years), Pre-vocational Class – II (15 – 18 Years)
• Care Class – Children with Low Ability (Profoundly Intellectual Disability)}

In Pre-primary & Primary group, the primary activities are activities of Daily Living Skills (ADL), Basic academic Skills, Social Skills, Art & Craft, and Music. Speech and occupational therapy form an integral part of their curriculum. Play as you learn is followed in the main areas of training in Self-help skills, Pre-academics, communication and socialization skills. In special cases that need 1:1 training are catered through Individualized Education Program (IEP). Regular parent teacher interaction assists in assessment and evaluation of the children in Pre-primary and Primary group.

In the Secondary group the children are trained in their basic self-help skills, language, cognitive, academic skills and extracurricular activities in a more structured form. Creative inputs like Music, Dance, Art & craft, Tabla, and Yoga form the part of their curriculum. Therapeutic intervention in speech and language development, occupational therapy, behaviour management programs are also provided simultaneously with the main learning schedule of the children.

As the children approach the threshold of adulthood, the young children with special needs are exposed to new goal in life. The training is focused on new avenues of independent living. The training is programmed to promote and develop vocational based skills. The children in the Pre-vocational group are exposed to functional academics. Developments of time concept, weights & measurements and money recognition and exchange are part of the training. They are also exposed to social skills and community orientation.

Special classroom and individual attention is provided for children with severe and profound level of children with intellectual disability, who are too old to remain in the primary group. Behaviour modification and special care facilities are provided to severe and profound group children. Special attention with multisensory stimulation are providing for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.