‘Inspiration Centre’ is a special school for children/ adults aged 1-45 years with all levels of intellectual disability. We aim to provide a secure and supporting environment where pupils become as independent as possible through a wide and varied range of learning activities. Our special educational services start with the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the child. Based on it, an individualized educational plan is prepared. Throughput the special educational curriculum, students are encouraged to have an understanding of themselves and the world around them, enabling them to become self-confident young people and to develop skills in a setting, which is both structured and caring.
The mentally disabled children, and those with other associated problems have delayed speech and language. They have poor neuro-motor coordination. They tend to have misarticulation, unclear speech, and sentences are often short. In some cases stuttering is also seen along with mental disability. In the centre, these children have undergone tremendous improvement with the help of the speech therapist, along with special educator, counselor and parents.
It is the art & science of directing man’s participation in selected tasks to
In special children of Inspiration Centre, the aim of occupational therapy has been to teach them activities of daily living – self care, feeding, dressing, toileting, communication & mobility, etc.
A lot of stress is given on counseling of parents in our Centre. It is seen that once the parents come out of their negativity, it has a very strong positive effect on the child. The special child is able to improve with training & self-help skills, both in school and home.
‘Inspiration Centre’ has been giving training to assistants derived from the society specially from the low-income group. These assistants have proved to be a tremendous pillar of support to the organization. Most of them are also parents from the low-income group, and after training they are absorbed into a job, when there are vacancies.
‘Inspiration Centre’ provides early intervention services to children with disability since 1995. The professionals work with this group in partnership with parents of children with special needs to help their children develop their knowledge and skills, to reach their potential. Our holistic approach builds upon the strength found in all children and families. Many of our young toddlers have been successfully integrated in the normal school set-up. It has been proven by 20 years of research that early intervention produces immediate and long term benefits for children with disabilities, their families and societies.
We have an advanced vocational unit for mentally disabled and slow learner personnel. We provide vocational training to the students above the age of 16 years and prevocational training to the students between the ages of 13 to 16 years.
We follow ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis Programme) with our students. Through our behavior modification programme, we help to remove challenging behaviors in children with autism, mental disability and learning disabilities.
Respite Care services were introduced as the need was felt in several families, to leave their wards, in a known caring environment. The children with autism specially resist change, and in various cases the parents would prefer the to leave them in a secure place in case of emergency in the family or otherwise. ‘Inspiration Centre’ is the only one providing such services. There are about 70 students at present whose ages range from 3 years-45 years.
We provide remedial educational programme to slow learners and children with learning disability. We prepare students for NIOS through which these children can pass their Vth, VIth, Xth and XIIth examination. We choose subjects according to the ability and interest of each child. We provide these children immediate, structured and appropriate help. We have computing facilities for these children.
Inspiration has been giving a lot of stress on physical channelisation of this sexual energy. We have trained coaches for Special Olympics and these coaches give training to the special children. Our aim in participation in Special Olympics is to provide year round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for special children and young adults. We give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in sharing gifts, skills and friendship with their families and other Special Olympic athletics and other community.
Music Therapy is the application of music to create positive changes to human behavior. Likewise Drama Therapy, through movement is able to bring about development in social, emotional, cognitive and perceptual-motor areas. Both music & drama can be non-verbal forms of communication and provides motivation for practicing other skills. They are successful media and almost everyone responds positively to some kind of music, and actions along with it. It is particularly useful for autistic children due to its non-verbal, non-threatening nature. Music therapy is particularly effective in development and remediation of speech. ‘Inspiration Centre’ has been using both these methods extensively which has proved to be very successful specially with young children, children with autism and Down’s Syndrome.
Recreational therapy is widely used because of its innumerable advantages like
In recreational therapy there is extensive use of dance, music, playing with clay, colours, drama, role-modelling, games such as skating, basketball and also Taekwondo etc.
Computers can be used with children with mental disability. It can be used for improving the given areas:
I. SELF-HELP SKILLS:
By showing each step on the computer using computer CDs, they can learn to copy the skill e.g. brushing of teeth, bathing, wearing a dress and social skills.
II. MOTOR SKILLS:
By using the educational softwares, we can develop the control of fine motor movements (using the mouse).
III. CONCEPT OF COMPUTATION
‘Inspiration’ has been giving a lot of stress on empowerment of the mother. The students are given admission on condition hat the parents/ guardians would come to the centre for hands-on-training of their wards. This has created interest and motivation in the mother, most of whom come regularly, once they realize that positivity in the parents have a lot of potential in improving the childs’ progress. There is a strong Parents’ Association, and both the organizations are members of the National Federation of Parents’ Association
-‘PARIVAAR’, of which the Director is the Joint Secretary.