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Strong pillar of support

special care
Last Updated 26 September 2016, 18:39 IST

Sharath (name changed), a two-year-old, who was unable to make eye contact and had delayed language development, was diagnosed with mild autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He studied in a special school in Mumbai for two years after which his parents enrolled him in ASHA Trust, Bengaluru. Kavitha Manjunath, special educator at the trust, says, “It was challenging in the beginning as he used to run near the window when he was given some activity. Reinforcement was the main strategy used to modify his behaviour. We observed his liking for cars and bikes, so we provided him with toys after completion of every activity.”

Sharath’s mother is a happy woman today. “Just 15 days after coming to ASHA, he started to write using a pencil. In a  month, he could write all the alphabets. There is a great deal of improvement in his behaviour too,” she exclaims. Now eight years old, Sharath can name a number of bikes and cars. He also uses Google and watches automobile-related videos.

Rajath (name changed), who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, was enrolled in ASHA three years ago after which there is a drastic improvement in him. Rajath’s mother says, “It was very difficult to manage him as he was hyperactive. His communication skills were poor.”

Shedding light on his journey, Anitha, a special educator at the trust, says, “He lacked intrapersonal skills in the beginning, so we used to give him one fine motor activity which he loves doing after every group activity. Though he lacks verbal skills, he communicates through gestures. The communication chart has helped him. Visual skills have ameliorated in a short span. Painting, stitching, drawing and making paper bags are his favourite activities. He even solves puzzles on the iPad now.” Rajath’s mother agrees there is a lot of improvement in his behaviour. “He is composed and his level of concentration has increased,” she says.

These are just two examples of the work the Academy for Severe Handicaps and Autism (ASHA) Charitable Trust does. The trust was established in 1995 with three students and two volunteers and now provides comprehensive academic, psychological, developmental, family and social interventions, psycho-educational assessments to more than 60 children. ASHA takes in kids aged between three and 15 years and the admissions are solely need-based, where priority is given to diagnosis.

A helping hand
Autism is a developmental disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviour. It can be so debilitating in some children, that they may not be able to lead a normal life, hence they require special care and training to make them independent to an extent.

ASHA has been a glimmer of hope for many individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy and developmental delay. Early intervention programme starts at the age of three, after a confirmed diagnosis by the doctor. A large team of therapists, special educators, psychologists and counsellors form the core team of ASHA. The programmes aim at providing end to end solutions to the difficulties that autistic children and their families face.

ASHA boasts of a dedicated faculty that empower students with vocational training and basic skills. The students are also trained in computer skills, housekeeping, cooking and pre-vocational skills like screen and block printing, paper bag making and other art works.

Jayashree Ramesh, director, ASHA says, “Each child on the autism spectrum is different and it’s a challenge to find an effective method from an array of approaches that would suit that one particular child as no one size fits them all. Therefore, we provide a number of therapies and programmes to build on the child’s strength.”

The organisation offers a wide range of therapies such as speech or language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dance and music therapy, art-based therapy and yoga therapy, which helps in improving basic skills and modifying the behaviour of the students. Kiran Pookat, a dance therapist who has been associated with ASHA for seven years now says, “My aim is to develop coordination and basic control of their body movements. Rhythmic energetic movement helps them express themselves and also develop their interpersonal skills.” 

Apart from this, the assessment training and guidance centre of ASHA is conducting a survey named ‘Sahay’ across various mainstream schools in the City to screen children (aged five to seven) with poor academic performance. The identified children will be assessed and if required, remedial classes will be planned. Orientation programmes will be held for teachers, in which they will be informed about identifying and providing different techniques to manage learning problems in children.

Organisations like ASHA stand like strong pillars of support for individuals with disabilities and help them create a better world for themselves and their families. For more information, call 080-23598516 or email atg.asha@gmail.com.

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(Published 26 September 2016, 17:19 IST)

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