FYBA A

24 S.P.J Sadhana School field report!

Carlton Roy DSilva

The first year BA students (Psychology) of St. Andrews College, Bandra had gone for a field trip to S.P.J Sadhana School on the 9th of December 2011. On this day, the school was celebrating its annual exhibition! This school is situated in South Mumbai in one of the most reputed colleges of Mumbai, Sophia College for Women. All of us gathered at the campus around 9.30 am. We sat for the entire function from 10 am to around 12 noon. After that we were showed the various activities, vocations and training programs that are imparted by the institute. This special school teaches 125 mentally challenged children to learn how to lead the type of lives we lead. Studying, doing the normal everyday activities, and earning a living later. I have been impressed by the school, faculty, 125 students, and volunteers. Further, is a little info about the school and everything that is found there. S.P.J. Sadhana School is more than a school; it is an internationally / nationally known Resource Centre for training persons with Special needs, as well as updating teachers in effective methodologies. The only center in the world offering 5 year polytechnic courses to the mentally challenged young adult and guaranteeing 100% employment. This school has had 93% success rate offering Auditory Integration training and Sensory Scoptic Syndrome screening to both special and dyslexic students and adults in normal work situations. Ever since its inception, over 35 years ago, the S. P. J. Sadhana School has worked ceaselessly toward helping the mentally challenged individual, not only to learn to adjust to the world around, but more - to become a useful member of the human community, independent and self sufficient, with a contribution to make to society. ACTIVITIES : Formative years: I to IV Their aim is to assist the children in becoming independent with the ability to enjoy and enriched life. A variety of activities and curriculum are developed and taught in classes with a low student-teacher ration. Trained special teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapist, sensory integration therapist, psychologist and counselors for a team to: Reinforce training for self-care skills and spontaneous movement.

Reinforce training for physical strength, swimming, mat exercises, sensory integration exercises.

FYBA A

24

Carlton Roy DSilva

Intellectual stimulations and development of academic abilities and functional academics. Emotional development to awaken hidden special abilities such as drawing and music. Language stimulation and development through a wide variety of act ivies; reading, conversation, speech and drama, music, physical exercise, school events, excursions and others. Pre-vocational training is initiated to prepare them for full time prevocational activities.

Pre-Vocational Stage To assist the adolescent with successful passage from childhood to adulthood. To provide them with academic as well as vocational skills for the highest possible level of independence. To counsel the student and parent on the life goal by identifying the skills the student is good at and enjoys doing. According to the assessment in these years, a student moves into the Polytechnic Courses at approximately 16+years.

5 Years Polytechnic Courses: General Introduction Rehabilitation into mainstream society through education and training in the departments is a major focus of the Polytechnic Courses conducted by the S.P.J. Sadhana School. The S.P.J. Sadhana School has developed special teaching strategies and technologies, integrated into a five year vocational course, which is the final springboard to launch the student into mainstream society. Emphasis is simultaneously laid on employment criteria such as correct behaviour in work situations and communication and self help skills. The idea is to send out a student as totally self-reliant and responsible as is possible for these specially challenged young adults. Workshops and field trips are an integral part of the program, especially in the last two internship years. These provide invaluable

FYBA A

24

Carlton Roy DSilva

experience, actual exposure to different situations and practical training in circumventing and overcoming obstacles, while still being able to fall back on the security provided by the school. The final step is an endeavor to place the student in a compatible work situation. The task is a difficult one as the students often do not receive adequate support from parents and society and it falls to the school to convince potential employers and co-workers that the trainees be given a chance to prove the ability.

S.P.J Sadhana School concentrates on the potential of each student. It is committed to pushing back the frontiers. The charity model has been replaced by the marketforces model. Employment Ability Skills (Vocation) According to aptitude and liking a student is trained for a career. Office skills are in shops as Sales persons, web designing, data entry, chartered accountants office, architects office, join family business Hospitality and Catering these skills are useful in Hotels, Bakeries, Caterings, Food processing factories, and running ones own business of catering Visual Arts Sketch painting, Crotchet and Bead work Embroidery. Work with designers, artists or at Om Creations. Vocational - flower arrangements, candle making, carpentry work, needle work, art work They can go to Shraddha Charitable Trust and Om creation or join Family business.

This is my first ever experience to a school like this. The function that was held in the school premises was very affecting. The children there were felicitated with various prizes and awards for their academic success and also for participating in extra curricular activities! The important features that were highlighted during the function were about the specialty of the school, its diverse teaching faculty and above all their special and extraordinary students. The uniqueness of this school is that it has an important feature called the AIT therapy! AIT is an educational intervention that efficiently retrains a disorganized auditory system. Auditory Integration Training is a scientific method of retraining the ear to

FYBA A

24

Carlton Roy DSilva

listen and to process sounds in a more normal manner, without distortions and delays. While no guarantees can be made, AIT is documented to have profound positive effects on many different types of individuals. How much time is required? It is for 2 weeks Mon to Fri (Sat & Sun off) i.e. 10 days of treatment. 30 minutes per day, twice a day (morning and afternoon) with a minimum gap of three hours between sessions, making a total of ten hours. The treatment does not require any material. The participants listen to specific music using high quality headphones. No walkmans should be used or the effects of the treatment will be undone. What is the minimum age? Ages 3 and above. The participant must be able to sit for the duration of the treatment. What can cause the damage that requires one to take this treatment? There are many situations that can result in damage to auditory processing, sound sensitivity, hyposensitive or hypersensitive hearing or hearing distortions in people of all ages. Some of possible causes of sound sensitivity include such things as: birth trauma, ear infections as an infant or young child, frequent use of antibiotics, vaccine damage, use of ototoxic medications, heavy metal toxicity, exposure to loud noises, head injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke and many other situations. What happens after the treatment and how long does it last? Once the cause of the auditory processing or hearing problems are corrected - such as hearing distortions, hypersensitive hearing, hyposensitive hearing, sound sensitivity - then other therapies and educational programs become more effective in producing changes that enable the individual to achieve a new level of success. The effects of treatment go on for 6 months to 9 months. WHO INVENTED BERARD AIT? Dr. Guy Berard of France developed Auditory Integration Training as a procedure to efficiently retrain a disorganized auditory system. He treated and reviewed cases for over 8,000 clients during his 40 year career. Through his years of research, Dr. Berard determined that when auditory processing is not working correctly, it prohibits the efficient processing of information. Dr. Berard believed that hypersensitivity to sound; hearing distortions and delays in the auditory signals contribute to inefficient learning. What is the cost and does SPJ Sadhana School provide accommodation?

FYBA A

24

Carlton Roy DSilva

Participants will have to find their own accommodations for the duration of the treatment. Please contact the school for the cost of this treatment and also for further details. After gathering the required information, we left the building and began watching the amazing stuff that was put up for exhibition for us done by the kids. There were various hand made articles like cloth bags, purses, handicrafts. The students also prepared food and beverages for the people who came to catch a glimpse of their school and fortunately we were one of the privileged ones! After going through all the stalls, we appreciated them for their good work and soon after, we left! Oh and last but not the least, a word of thanks to my psychology teacher, Ms. Shubdha for giving us the opportunity to view this wonderful school and to view each and every child as a gift from god!

REFERENCES : www.spjsadhana.org www.karmayog.com/ngos/sadhna My personal experience!