4. A MOVE TO
COMMUNITIES
A SURVEY LED PRABHAT TO COMMUNITIES IN
NEED. IT FOUND THAT MANY CHILDREN &
FAMILIES IN THE CITY NEEDED OF
ATTENTION AND SUPPORT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION AND
FEAR.
BUT -- FINDING SPACE FOR PRABHAT WAS
DIFFICULT. HOUSE-OWNERS DID NOT WANT
‘MAD’ CHILDREN AROUND.
5. EXPERIENCES DURING THE SURVEY
• SPECIAL CHILDREN WERE MOST OFTEN KEPT AT
HOME, SOMETIMES NEVER LET OUT --- AND
SOMETIMES EVEN TIED UP.
• PARENTS OFTEN FELT THAT THERE WAS NO HOPE
FOR THEIR CHILDREN. SOME EVEN WANTED TO
GET RID OF THEM.
• PARENTS WHO WANTED TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN
A CHANCE HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO GO, WHO TO
TALK TO, WHAT FACILITIES WERE AVAILABLE. SO
SUCH PARENTS ALSO FELT THERE WAS NO HOPE.
6. FINALLY PRABHAT FOUND THREE ROOMS ON
THE GROUND FLOOR OF A HOUSE IN
MANINAGAR. THIS SPACE HAD BEEN USED AS
A NURSERY SCHOOL, SO THE OWNERS WERE
A LITTLE MORE OPEN THAN OTHERS.
7. PRABHAT NOW SERVES MORE THAN 100 CHILDREN FROM 3
CENTRES. PRABHAT REACHES OUT TO OVER 900 PERSONS
THROUGH THE CENTRES AND THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY-
BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMME (CBR), WHICH SERVES
THOSE WHO CANNOT ACCESS THE CENTRES BECAUSE OF
DISTANCE, POVERTY, OR MOBILITY PROBLEMS.
PRABHAT HAS A TEAM OF 16 PERSONS. MOST OF ITS STAFF ARE
VOLUNTEERS. PRABHAT HAS STARTED GIVING SMALL STIPENDS
AND ALLOWANCES WHERE POSSIBLE.
8. NOW, A LITTLE ABOUT HOW PRABHAT WORKS, ITS
SERVICES, THE PARENTS IN THE PRABHAT
COMMUNITY, ITS NETWORKS, AND THE LEARNING
PRABHAT IS TAKING INTO PLANS FOR THE NEXT 3
YEARS.
9. SECTION A: FIRST STEPS
FIRST, PRABHAT OBSERVES THE CHILD IN THE
HOME ENVIRONMENT AND INVITE PARENTS TO
BRING THEIR CHILD TO PRABHAT SO THAT THEY
CAN SEE WHO PRABHAT IS WHAT IT DOES.
10. THEY MEET PRABHAT EDUCATORS, GET
COUNSELING AND IF THEY WANT THEIR
CHILD TO COME TO PRABHAT, FAMILY AND
CHILD INFORMATION IS RECORDED.
11. AFTER ADMISSION, EACH CHILD GOES THROUGH
AN ASSESMENT PROCESSS BEFORE PRABHAT
DEVELOPS A CURRICULUM ACCORDING TO EACH
CHILD’S OWN NEEDS.
12. PRABHAT CHILDREN ARE BETWEEN
THE AGES OF ZERO AND 26. THEY
INCLUDE THOSE WHO ARE MENTALLY
RETARDED, WITH CEREBRAL PALSY,
WITH VISUAL/HEARING/ SPEECH
IMPAIRMENTS AS WELL AS WITH
AUTISM.
13. PRABHAT CURRICULUM STARTS WITH MAKING ITS
SPACE WELCOMING AND JOYFUL WITH AS MANY OF
THE ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS THAT NORMAL
SCHOOLS OF THESE AGES WOULD HAVE.
PRABHAT STILL HAS ONLY BASIC FACILITIES BUT
SLOWLY THESE ARE IMPROVING WITH OUTSIDE
HELP. EVEN PRABHAT’S MODEST FACILITIES GIVE
MANY OF CHILDREN EXPERIENCES THEY HAVE
NEVER BEFORE ENJOYED.
14. THERAPY FACILITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
SOME ARE PROVIDE AT PRABHAT. FOR OTHERS,
CHILDREN ARE TAKEN TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS
OR PARENTS HELPED WITH CONTACTS.
15. PRABHAT HAS FOUND IT VERY IMPORTANT TO GIVE CHILDREN AND
THEIR PARENTS THE FEELING OF A NORMAL SCHOOL. PRABHAT
CELEBRATES SPECIAL DAYS BOTH NATIONAL AND OF DIFFERENT
RELIGIONS AND ORGANISE COMPETITIONS. IT HELPS SPECIAL
CHILDREN JOIN COMPETITIONS OUTSIDE PRABHAT.
17. WITH ITS OUTSIDE CONTACTS, PRABHAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO
ORGANISE OUTINGS EACH MONTH TO PLACES OF INTEREST IN AND
OUTSIDE THE CITY, RESTAURANTS AND TO THE MOVIES. ALL THIS IS
TO MAKE THESE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES FEEL THEY ARE
NORMAL CITIZENS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. A 2 DAY ENVIRONMENT
CAMP ONCE A YEAR
19. THE SUMMER CAMP NOW BRINGS IN OTHER
CHILDREN FROM NEIGHBOURHOODS,
ENCOURAGING INTEGRATION.
20. A MAJOR OF PARENTS IS ‘WHAT
WILL HAPPEN TO MY CHILD
AFTER PRABHAT? HOW LONG CAN
THEY REMAIN HERE?’ WORRY
21. SO PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING HAS STARTED.
PRABAHT WANTS TO MOVE INTO VOCATIONAL
TRAINING FOR OLDER CHILDREN SOON. IT IS NOW
TRYING TO RAISE SUPPORT FOR THAT.
22. PRABHAT HAS ALREADY PREPARED
CHILDREN FOR MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS, FOR
ITIs AND FOR VOCATIONAL CENTRES.
23. PARENTS AND THE HOME ENVIRONMENT
INVOLVING THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AND PARENTS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
PRABHAT..
THIS INCLUDES:
REGULAR HOME VISITS, WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT INFLUENCES
NEIGHBOURS AND THE COMMUNITY TOWARD BEING SUPPORTIVE RATHER
THAN MAKING THE CHILD FEEL USELESS AND THE PARENT FEEL HOPELESS
24. REGULAR MEETINGS ARE HELD BETWEEN EDUCATORS AND BOTH PARENTS
(PRABHAT INSISTS ON BOTH PARENTS PARTICIPATING) TO REVIEW PROGRESS AND
MAKE PLANS FOR NEXT THREE MONTHS. IN ADDITION TO GOALS FOR THE CHILD AT
SCHOOL, PRABHAT ENCOURAGES GOALS AT HOME THAT PARENTS CAN MONITOR..
25. WORKSHOPS ARE HELD FOR PARENTS BY
TEACHERS AND VISITING EXPERTS ON
PARENTING, THERAPY, SPECIAL EDUCATION
AND ON HOW TO HELP PRABHAT TO HELP THEIR
CHILD.
26. PRABHAT INTRODUCES PARENTS TO GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
AND PROGRAMMES THAT THEY CAN ACCESS BUT OFTEN DO NOT
KNOW ABOUT. THIS INCULDES BUS PASSES, EDUCATIONAL KITS,
FROM THE SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN, STIPENDS UNDER
SANTSURDAS YOJANA, MEDICAL INSURANCE FACILITY UP TO
RS.1 LAC FROM NIRMAYA NATIONAL TRUST.
PRABHAT TRIES TO KEEP PARENTS AWARE OF WHAT IS
HAPPENING ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION & DISABILITY ISSUES IN
GUJARAT AND IN INDIA.
27. NETWORKING
IN ALL THIS ACTIVITY, NETWORKING IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
PRABHAT.
NETWORKING BEGINS IN THE COMMUNITY. LOCAL SHOPKEEPERS,
HOUSEWIVES, TEACHERS, RICKSHAW DRIVERS, SCHOOLS & COLLEGE
STUDENTS, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COME IN TO HELP AND PROVIDE
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES OF ART, CRAFT,SPORT AND MUSIC.
28. EACH WEEK, CHILDREN FROM THE WELL-KNOWN RIVERSIDE SCHOOL
COME IN TO ‘BUDDY’ PRABHAT CHILDREN. HOPEFULLY,THESE SCHOOL
CHILDREN WILL GROW INTO ADULTS THAT UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT
SPECIAL CHILDREN AND THEIR NEEDS. THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS
WONDERFUL NOW FOR MORALE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND ALSO
HELPS TO ADVOCATE THE NEED FOR GREATER INCLUSION OF SPECIAL
CHILDREN IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS. SIMILARLY STUDENTS FROM
DIFFERENT COLLEGUES ST. XAVIER’S NID INTERNSHIP/VISIT WITH
PRABHAT.
29. PRABHAT NETWORKS WITH OTHER NGOs LIKE SEWA, JANVIKSAS, ANALA, UNNATI
AND BPA TO BUILD ITS CONTACTS IN AHMEDABAD SOCIETY, LOCATE SPECIAL
CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND GET THE KINDS OF SUPPORT THESE CHILDRN
AND FAMILIES NEED TODAY OR IN THE FUTURE. ALL THESE NGOs ARE CONSCIOUS
OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND NOW HELP SPREAD THE WORD.
PRABHAT IS BUILDING CONTACTS WITH OTHER EDUCATORS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS
WHERE CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES GO. THESE SCHOOLS ARE
BECOMING AWARE OF SPECIAL NEEDS BUT THEY HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN THIS
AREA. TO SUPPORT THEM, PRABHAT STARTS WITH SURVEYS, ASSESSMENTS, &
INDIVIDUAL PLANNING. IT THEN WORKS WITH CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND PARENTS.
30. COMMUNITY BASED
REHABILITATION (CBR)
COMPONENTS OF CBR ARE:
· MEDICAL REHABILITION.
· EDUCATION REHABILITION
· ECONOMIC REHABILITION
· SOCIAL REHABILITION
· SUPPORT SERVICE
· PUBLIC AWARENESS
31. WHAT PRABHAT HAS LEARNED
• ALWAYS BEGIN IN THE COMMUNITY AND KEEP THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED
• INVOLVE PARENTS AND FAMILIES AT EVERY STAGE, BY MAKING
THE HOME PART OF THE LEARNING AND SUPPORT ENVIRONMENT
• MAKE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AS JOYFUL AND NORMAL AS
POSSIBLE, WITH AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERACTION WITH
THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
• EVERY CHILD NEEDS HER OWN APPROACH & CURRICULUM
• ATTEND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF
WHAT HAPPENS TO SPECIAL CHILDREN WHEN THEY BECOME
YOUNG ADULTS. FOR THIS, VOCATIONAL AND MAINSTREAMING
OPTIONS BECOME VERY IMPORTANT
• BUILD NETWORKS OF SUPPORT THAT CAN HELP THE CHILD AND THE
FAMILY IN PRABHAT AND ALSO ONCE THEY LEAVE PRABHAT
32. PRABHAT’S PLANS FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS
• STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY – BASED & HOME-BASED PROGRAMMES
AS WELL AS TRAINING INITIATIVES
•MORE SPACE AND BETTER FACILITIES INCLUDING FOR THERAPY NEEDS.
PRABHAT ALREADY HAS OVER 20 CHILDREN WANTING TO JOIN BUT IT
DOES NOT HAVE THE SPACE OR THE STAFF.
• CAPACITY-BUILDING THROUGH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
PRABHAT EDUCATORS, STAFF & OTHERS
• SAFE TRANSPORT FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE
WHOSE PARENTS CANNOT AFFORD TRANSPORT TO & FROM PRABHAT
• GIVING PRABHAT’S VOLUNTEER STAFF CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
THROUGH BOTH TRAINING AND SALARIES WE CANNOT NOW AFFORD.
