Training

Early Intervention Program

Early intervention program is a very useful training method in which children below 5 years will be trained along with their parents. The special educators along with the speech therapists and physiotherapists provide their expert training during this phase for kids with delayed milestones, kids with walking and speech disability. This training happens twice a week and the parents are trained/counselled to handle their special children in a way that there is learning by repetition. This programs the children for their daily activities like handling a glass of water, eating food, communication etc.

Special Education

The special education classes are broadly categorised to five sections based on their IQ assessment and learning capabilities. They are as pre-primary, primary, secondary, pre vocational and vocational. To conduct themselves in a disciplined and independent manner students are taught basics of daily life like brushing teeth, washing, cleaning the floor, mopping, gardening etc.

In the pre-primary and primary section children are trained in motor development skills, activity of daily lives, toilet training, eating, reading/writing, brushing and dressing. The children are evaluated every 3 months on any of the 6 skills. The activity for each skill could be simple to complex like putting large beads in a string to very small beads in a string. This trains the kids on eye and hand co-ordination such as buttoning the shirt, putting buckle to skirt, using straw to drink juice, identifying colours, matching similar objects, identifying common objects like bus, bicycle etc. These skills are considered during quarterly evaluation to mark progress of the student on those particular skills.

After the students are familiarised with the activities of daily living they are promoted to the secondary section. Here emphasis is on reading and writing skills. Basics of mathematics like addition and subtraction are introduced with the number concept. The time concept is introduced and the students are trained to identify days of the week and months in a year. They are also introduced the money concept and trained to identify community workers like doctors, police, post-man etc. The teaching at the secondary level is aimed at matching the learnings of the students in the initial classes of a normal schools. Towards the end of the secondary section students are segregated as educable and trainable. With the secondary level training the students reach a state where they can handle a social gatherings.

Vocational Training

Students who are not academically inclined are trainable and therefore are chosen for the pre-vocational training. In the pre-vocational training students are introduced to skill sets needed to work on any trade. Example: handling scissors, threading the needle, cutting, applying gum etc.

These basic skills help them in various crafts work like

Vocational education prepares students for a specific trade. It directly develops expertise in techniques using procedural knowledge and hence students are taught specific trade skills in a step by step approach. Students of Asha Nilaya are exposed to the below vocational trainings:

• Phenyl making
• Candle making
• Book making
• Jasmine flower garden
• Cow rearing

Therapy Sessions

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists from department of Physiotherapy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education teach necessary exercises for the children suffering from nerve related issues. The children who have severe physical movement disorders are greatly helped by this. This therapy is provided right from the early intervention program.

Speech Therapy

Speech Therapists from department of Speech Therapy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education evaluate and train the kids having speech disorder.

Dance Therapy

The students are taught dance with music by professional choreographers who bring out the best in these special children. Dance being a form of expression gives the children a platform to discover themselves. There is plan to invite the Department of Clinical Psychology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education to assist in IQ assessment of kids and also provide special training to the staff through talks/seminars/workshops.

Sports and Yoga

To keep the students physically active and stay healthy they are taught physical exercises and sports like athletics, badminton, cycling and group games. For good synergy of mind and body yoga is taught daily for 45min by a trained yoga instructor. Yoga also enhances the concentration skills of the kids.