Training to empower special children

It is a tough, but rewarding challenge to help a special child fulfill his potential and find his place in the world as a professional, and to empower him as a person.

There are two useful, interesting and inexpensive short-term correspondence courses that will be of good use to parents and family members of the children with disabilities, besides professionals working in the field.

Chennai-based V-Excel Center for Research and Rehabilitation (V-Excel), that has been working for the welfare of individuals with special needs for more than a decade now, offers a three-month certificate course ‘Parents Awareness Training Program’, and a one-year certificate course ‘Early Childhood Special Education - Enabling Inclusion’. Both the courses are approved by the Indra Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and are offered in the long distance mode .

On successful completion of the one year program, the candidate is authorized to register as ‘Personnel’ in Category B in the Central Rehabilitation Register of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), which is essential to work in special schools. Meanwhile, the three month-program can help families understand and accept their life situation and make the best of it, and to overcome obstacles to social access and employment for persons with special needs.

To take up the Parents Awareness Training Program, you must have completed high school education with 50% marks. The fee for this course is Rs 350. Meanwhile, for the one-year certificate course, candidates must have a minimum qualification of higher secondary examination with a score of 50%. For both courses, around 70% of the seats are reserved for parents and family members of the children with disabilities, and persons with disabilities. Persons who have two or more years of experience in working with people with disabilities, and those who have completed ‘Awareness cum Training Program in Disability (cerebral palsy, mental retardation, hearing impairment, and visual impairment) too come under the reserved category for the one-year program. The course fee is Rs 4,500.

“While the courses are through the distance education mode, contact classes (5 classes for the three-month program and 22 for the one year program) will be held as and when announced”, informs V-Excel course coordinator Maria Josephine. The topics addressed in the courses include development of young child, disability and society, enhancing physical and motor development, statutory provisions concessions and barrier free environment, causes and prevention of mental retardation, assessment and program planning, curriculum and strategies. The project work involves working with children with mental retardation in different settings.

“The faculty for the course are highly experienced, and approved for taking this course by the National Council for Disability Studies (NCDS)”, says Maria Josephine. For further information, e-mail info@v-excel or call 044-24956373 / 044-24620243 / 044-24522061 / 044-24521986 / 098409 46801 or log on to www.v-excel.org