Srishti Special Academy

1
Srishti Special Academy
Structured intervention programmes for children
with mental retardation, autism, or any other
intellectual impairment
Project Proposal Compiled from phone
discussions and
financial summary texts by Vinod
Viswanath Currently being reviewed by
Asha Austin Asha Yale
2
Location

• Bangalore, Karnataka
• Urban campus
• MIG-71, V Main, I Cross, KHB Colony II Stage
• Basaveshwaranagar
• Bangalore -- 560079
• Rural campus
• Jettipalya, Channenahalli, 20th Km
• Off Magadi Road
• Bangalore South Taluk -- 562130

3
Background

• The mentally challenged are between one and three
  percent of Indias population
• However, as intellectual impairment is an
  invisible handicap, it is generally not
  recognized and little is known about it
• Awareness about their abilities and services to
  improve their quality of life are inadequate
• The divide is even more pronounced in the rural
  areas

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Background (continued)

• A majority of existing institutions have
  stipulations for admission such as
• refusing services for children who are not toilet
  trained, or
• individuals with severe retardation and seizure
  disorders
• Very few institutions have programmes such as
  vocational training for those over 16 years
• this implies that many individuals who are
  mentally challenged do not get opportunities to
  realize their potential and generally live lives
  of neglect

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SSA Objectives

• Render technically designed intervention
  programmes to train special needs children to
  become self-reliant
• Irrespective of belonging to any economic strata,
  any special needs child is able to avail all the
  facilitating services at the Academy, i.e.,
  Medical, Therapeutic and Educational Intervention
• Provide individualised, personalized intervention
  to every child at a very nominal fee
• In certain deserving cases, free of charge,
  without any difference in the quality of services
  rendered

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Aim and Vision

• To provide personalized intervention to every
  child under our care and mould to understand his
  or her own abilities and boundaries
• "Believing that all children are entitled for
  maximum development of their potential, to help
  themselves find a place in the society, to be
  accepted and to be integrated into the community
  for their future life" - Meena
  Jain, founder of SSA

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Services

• Shristi is an institution with a difference which
  brings in
• a change in the attitude towards the mentally
  challenged and
• the way they are viewed
• Programmes are designed in such a way that they
  support the
• mentally challenged of different ages,
• different types of disabilities and
• varying extent of retardation

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Services (continued)

• Infant Stimulation Early Intervention Unit
• This programme is for children below the age of 5
  years, with delayed development and psycho motor
  retardation
• It gives specific emphasis on sensory motor
  training
• Is aimed at reducing deficits and atypical traits
  by training children in activities to promote
  development and learning of new skills which
  might not occur by itself or naturally due to
  developmental delay

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Services (continued)

• Autism Unit
• The intervention programme offers system and
  routine for
• individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and
• children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive
  Disorder (ADHD)
• Consistent behavior shaping along with structured
  workstations for specific skill development
  facilitates autistic individuals to adapt and
  integrate in socially acceptable ways
• A combination of therapeutic approaches is
  provided to manage the multi symptomatic
  presentation of inattention, over activity and
  impulsivity along with other clinical symptoms

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Services (continued)

• Pre-Vocational Training Unit
• This programme is targeted at individuals in the
  age between 12-16 years
• Focuses on functional academics,
  pre-requisites necessary for
• vocational transition
• communication skills
• life survival skills

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Services (continued)

• Respite Care Group
• This programme is specially designed to provide
  exclusive rehabilitation therapy to children with
  Severe Mental Retardation
• The focus of this programme is on improving
• self-care skills
• language and communication
• appropriate social behavior to the best of each
  child's ability
• Emphasis is also given on recreation and leisure
  time activities to ease the burden of the care
  takers/family members

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Services (continued)

• Vocational Training/ Production Unit
• The ultimate aim of special education is
  employability and independent living
• This involves age appropriate skill training and
  a systematic procedure leading students gradually
  from school to vocational training and employment
• This programme is targeted at intellectually
  impaired individuals with associative disorders
  of age above 16 years

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Services (continued)

• Vocational Training/ Production Unit
• Currently, training is provided in
• Tailoring
• Screen printing
• Candle making
• Manufacture of phenyl and soap oil
• Manufacture of paper products and accessories
• Horticulture
• Shristi is enabling economic independence by
  giving 15 mentally challenged individuals who
  have achieved trade mastery a stipend

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Services (continued)

• Vocational Training/ Production Unit
• An important feature of Shristis Vocational
  training programme is workplace behavior
• This was incorporated after a survey revealed
  that there is a high dropout rate after job
  placement
• In all cases, the fullest attempt is made to
  identify and develop the inborn potential of the
  individuals
• And, to help them assimilate into normal society

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Other Services

• Comprehensive screening and assessment of
  children with specific learning disability and
  other developmental disabilities
• Psychological evaluation, IQ assessment and
  psychotherapy
• Counseling in specific areas for children and
  adolescents with anxiety or stress problems
• Career counseling and aptitude testing for
  teenagers

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Other Services

• Parental guidance for better child management at
  home and counseling to parents in anxiety
  management
• Occupational therapy
• Supportive services to families with terminally
  ill children
• Assisting other NGO in working for the welfare of
  children
• Organizing and conducting seminars and workshops
  on issues related to children and adolescents

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Other Services

• Visiting other schools/ institutions as faculty
  for training programmes
• Propagating awareness on child/ adolescent/
  parent related issues
• Publishing a quarterly newsletter to promote
  awareness about special education

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Programs Saathi

• The Early Intervention programme
• for infants and preschoolers
• in the age group of 0 to 6 years
• with delayed development
• Aimed at
• minimizing deficits
• acquiring new skills
• increasing independent functioning
• preventing secondary handicaps through training
• Also supports families to cope with these
  challenges

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Programs Prakruti

• Autistic individuals are offered an
• intensive, functional and meaningful programme
  which includes sensory integration and behavior
  modification
• It facilitates autistic individuals to adapt and
  integrate and to behave in socially acceptable
  ways
• The programme for individuals with Attention
  Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is
• carefully structured for learning and behavior
  modification to transform their environment and
  patterns of reinforcement

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Programs Prayathna

• The Respite Care Unit provides exclusive
  rehabilitation therapy to
• children who have severe mental retardation and
  multiple disabilities
• and offers respite to their parents

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Programs Dhruti

• Vocational Training
• aimed at enabling employability and economic
  independence among the challenged
• provided for those above 12 years of age
• Using a comprehensive curriculum, the training
  includes
• pre-vocational and vocational training
• followed by internship
• Followed by employment either at
• the sheltered workshop for production
• self-employment
• open market employment

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Dhruti Vocational Training

• Weaving
• Woolen mats
• Bead mats
• Wire Baskets
• Telephone mats
• Shawls
• Foot mats

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Dhruti Vocational Training

• Stationary Unit
• Files
• Greeting Cards
• Bookmarks
• Letter Pads
• Message Pads
• Envelopes

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Dhruti Vocational Training

• Screen Printing Unit
• Letter Heads
• Visiting Cards
• Handbills
• Stationary Items
• Textile Items
• Other screen printing items

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Dhruti Vocational Training

• Candle Unit
• Candles, regular
• Candles, spiral
• Candles, aromatic and decorative
• Diyas,
• regular and aromatic
• With or without wax

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Dhruti Vocational Training

• Tailoring
• Denim/Jute purses (different sizes)
• Hand Bags
• Pencil Bags
• Spectacle cases
• Folders
• Shopping Bags
• Cushion covers
• Baby quilts
• Newspapers/ Brown paper bags

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Dhruti Vocational Training

• Horticulture
• Vegetables
• Decorative plants
• Phenyl and Soap Oil making

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Redefined Curriculum

• Specially designed, scientific, family centered
  curriculum
• focusing on holistic development and growth of
  the child
• Most schools follow a curriculum used in regular
  education and emphasized cognitive development
• Shristi has redefined the intervention programme
  so that
• the mentally challenged first learn vital life
  survival skills such as self care, socialization,
  appropriate behavior and language skills
• and then cognitive development
• This approach has resulted in the overall
  functional development of the child
• Self Reliance, thus, has became an actuality
  rather than only a goal

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Redefined Curriculum

• Shristi has a team strives to facilitate learning
  in the child by using the experiential method of
  learning
• They follow an eclectic approach to intervention
  where the needs and level of the child determines
  the programme rather than any set methodology
• It also uses a variety of teaching material
  including natural resources instead of the
  routinely used beads, charts etc.
• Hallmarks of Shristi's rehabilitation programme
• Flexibility,
• Innovation, and
• Personalized programme along with
• Unconditional love and acceptance

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Redefined Curriculum

• Two teachers every month are trained on special
  teaching methods at the National Institute for
  Mentally Handicapped at Hyderabad
• Training involves
• skill building
• special education
• psychology
• physiotherapy
• speech therapy
• upgrading skills emphasis

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Facilities Basaveshwarnagar

• Houses the early Intervention Unit
• includes the infant stimulation programme for 0-3
• preschool for 3-6 years
• primary group for 6-10 years
• Children who are not mainstreamed into normal
  setups go to the vocational training unit after
  early intervention programme for learning
  vocational skills
• Age limits do not apply in the specialized units
  of autism and respite care for the severely
  retarded

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Facilities Channenhalli

• Rural campus (Magadi Road)
• Built on 2 acres of land gifted by Smt Jayashree
  Prasad , a well-wisher
• Currently houses
• Vocational Rehabilitation Centre which includes
• prevocational training section
• vocational training section
• sheltered workshop
• Units for Autism and ADHD and the Respite Care
  Centre.
• A hall for the Vocational rehab centre
• A room for the Autism unit and ADHD unit
• Area for the respite care centre
• Occupational therapy room
• Dining hall, kitchen and store

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Facilities Channenhalli

• It also has kennels for two dogs who are part of
  our pet therapy programme
• The dogs are from CUPA and were taken by Shristi
  after abandonment by their former owners
• Vegetables and decorative plants grown at Challi
  are part of the vocational training programme

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Transportation

• Shristi provides transport facility to its
  children
• it has two 32 seater buses and a van
• The areas covered are
• Basaveswarnagar, Rajajinagr, Malleswaram,
  Sheshadripuram, dollars Colony, Vijaynagar,
  Magadi Road, Nagarbhavi , Chandra Layout, Town
  Hall, Chamarajpet, Mysore Circle
• The vehicles depart Basaveswarnagar at 8.30 a.m.
  and reach Channenahalli campus at 9.00 a.m.
• One of the buses was donated by a local software
  company
• Only down payment on the other bus was donated.
  SSA pays an installment of Rs. 21,208 monthy

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Food and Nutrition

• All children are given breakfast, lunch and an
  mid-afternoon snack
• As nutrition and
• As part of selfcare
• General health has improved remarkably
• Better-eating habits, hygiene and less fuss about
  types of food

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Budget Program Expenses
37
Budget Admin Expenses
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Budget Personnel Expenses
39
Budget Communication Expenses
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Budget Capital Expenses
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Income
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Financial Summary
http//www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/536/
Srishti-Budget-Updated.xls
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Proposal

• Teachers Salaries
• Rs. 1,57,500 per month
• 1628 per annum per teacher (Avg)
• 27 teachers
• Transportation
• Bus costs and conveyance cost Rs 30,000pm
• 8372 per annum (for both buses)
• Bus installment payment not included
• They are trying other sources for both these
  components no success yet

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Questions

• How many teachers need to be funded?
• 27 teachers. Until March 2005, National Trust is
  funding 18 teachers. This will cease end of
  March.
• What is the salary per teacher per month?
• Varies from Rs 1000 to Rs 8000 depending on
  experience and qualification. The teachers
  include special educators, speech therapists,
  psychologists etc.
• What is the break up of the bus cost?
• Break up of the Rs 30,000 cost
• Rs 5000 per week for diesel and oil per bus.
• For 2 buses, that adds up to nearly Rs 40,000
• How long will you need support for the bus? as
  in, is it a recurring expense forever?
• It is a recurring cost
• What is income/income range of the parents of the
  children?
• About 80 of children come from families where
  income ranges from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 per month.
  The others come from homes with income of Rs 5000
  to Rs 20000. These children pay more towards fees
  and transport.

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Questions

• In the Admin expenses in the budget, there is a
  Conveyance charge. What is this?
• Conveyance expense for fund raising, meetings,
  purchases etc.
• Do any of the teachers also come on the bus with
  the children? How are the children
  entertained/engaged on the bus?
• 19 teachers travel along with the children in the
  bus. The children are engaged through music,
  singing and conversations by the teachers for
  social stimulus, speech practice and enabling
  awareness of surroundings/ happenings. As the
  journey is long and children from all units
  including the Respite Care Centre for the
  profoundly Retarded and the Unit for Autism and
  ADHD travel together, teachers play a big role
  in making it comfortable for the children and in
  managing any restlessness/ anxiety/ discomfort
  faced by any of the children.

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Questions

• Does the bus make multiple trips per day?
• The morning trip is a single trip as all
  children reach school at the same time - 8.30 a.m
  at Basaveswarnagar and 9.00 a.m. at
  Channenahalli. There are multiple trips in the
  afternoon the first is at 1.00 p.m. when the
  children who go for their swimming lessons
  (offered free by the Embassy Public School which
  is about 5km away from Shristi, on the Magadi
  Main Road) the second at 2.00 p.m. for the
  children in Chiguru Balwadi who come from the
  surrounding villages and the last one at 3.00
  p.m. to drop all the children home. Occasionally,
  the bus is used for staff and children who go for
  corporate or other sales of products made at the
  Sheltered Workshop.
• What is the retention rate of the teachers?
• The attrition rate is between 4 and 5. The
  personnel most difficult to retain are Speech and
  Occupational Therapists and Special educators
  with higher qualifications.

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Proposal Support for each child

• 75 children in Channenahalli campus
• 25 children in Basaveshwarnagar campus
• 10 children in balawadi
• Local to Channenahalli
• Stay for about 2 hours each day
• Three levels of support per child
• Medical and Nutritional supplement
• Special Education
• Both

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Proposal Support for each child

• Support Details
• Medical and nutritional supplements of a child _at_
  Rs. 600/month/child 14
• Special Education of a child (Excluding medical
  and nutritional supplements) _at_ Rs.
  2000/month/child 46
• Full support (medical and nutritional supplement
  plus special education) of a child _at_ Rs.
  2600/month/child 60

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Sample child profile
A history of birth asphyxia and seizures had left
Deepthi weak and small for her age. Delayed
development milestones meant that she was unable
to chew or swallow she was on milk even at the
age of three. A history of hyper ammonia
syndrome resulted in a very monotonous diet,
which further contributed to her weakness. She
couldnt walk or talk or localize visually. Her
future looked bleak at best.
Deepthi joined on one such special Early
Intervention programme in November 1998. The
primary goal of her programme was to ensure
better nutrition and feeding practices, as this
was the major problem faced by her mother.
Special emphasis was also given to helping her
catch up with her motor milestones, primary among
them being walking.
Today at 7 years, although she still has
seizures, which are controlled by medication, she
has learned to walk, communicates through single
words and gestures and takes part in all
activities of the class. She eats with minimal
help under supervision and is on a toilet
schedule to help streamline her bladder movements
and achieve better levels of normalcy. She is
receiving occupational therapy for her hand
functions and through speech therapy will achieve
better levels of communication.
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Site Visit

• Site visit by Asha Bangalore volunteers
• Rajeev Muralidhar and Kavitha Shetty
• September 25, 2004
• Site visit by Asha Silicon Valley volunteer
• Anil Rao
• Site visit report awaited
• Site visit details are available at

http//www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/536/
srishti-site-visit-rajeev-kavitha.doc
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Contact Information

• Project Contact
• Jayanthi
• Email info_at_shristi-special-academy.org
• Phone [phone]
• URL http//www.shristi-special-academy.org/
• Asha Contact (Austin, Yale)
• Vinod Viswanath
• Email vinod.2v_at_gmail.com
• Phone [phone]
• All donations to Srishti in India are qualified
  for IT exemption under section 80G of the Income
  Tax Act.
• SSA has FCRA clearance to receive foreign
  donation vide no. 094520834.