JAGRITHI AIKYA NEWSLETTER

Issue#11

Jagrithi
All children with Special needs benefit from LOVING HOME, EARLY INTERVENTION, APPROPRIATE EDUCATION AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE OF THE COMMUNITY

Jagrithi
Aikya Newsletter

AIKYAApril Newsletter 2014 April 2014

From the Director

Dear Friends, Seasons greetings. Wishing you all a very happy Tamil New year. March was quite a busy month. AIKYA was busy th planning for the 25 Anniversary. Down syndrome day was celebrated on March st 21 world over. AIKYA was represented at the UN by Mr. Deepak on that day. United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, appealed for better access and equality to health services for persons with Down syndrome. Too often, persons with disabilities including those with Down syndrome face stigma, discrimination and exclusion, said Mr. B an in a message for World Down Syndrome Day, observed on 21 March, with a special focus this year on Health and Wellbeing: Access and Equality for All. The lack of full and equal participation of those with Down syndrome affects not only individuals and their families, but society at large, the Secretary-General stressed. Down syndrome is caused by extra genetic material in chromosome 21. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide, and that each year, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder. Our volunteer Shalini left for Singapore for higher studies. The staff and the kids organised a send off party for her. Though they enjoyed the fun of get together, they were a bit emotional too. We are going to miss her. We wish Shalini all the best in her endeavours. The anniversary was celebrated on 30 . The event started with audio visual presentation of the 25 years of service of AIKYA which was received well and appreciated. Old students of AIKYA who have done well for themselves were appreciated with Role Model awards. They spoke, so did their parents and siblings. This was followed by cultural programs by the students which was the highlight of the day. The Guest of Honour Smt Revathy Sankaran was making remarks in between which made the program very lively. She was humorous, witty and emotional at times. Earlier the chief Guest Ln. Venkatraman, Governor of Lions clubs International Dist 324 A5 inaugurated and appreciated the role of AIKYA in all joint efforts. Ln. N.R.Dhanabalan, PDG released
th

the souvenir and praised our role in all mega events organised by him. April is the AUTISM Awareness Month and April 2nd was World Autism Awareness day. Light it up blue celebrates Autism Awareness. Join us in supporting the cause and children affected by AUTISM. Parvathy Vishwanath

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Autism
What is autism? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviour. Autistic disorder, sometimes called autism or classical ASD, is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include a milder form known as Asperger syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder.

What are some common signs of autism? The hallmark feature of ASD is impaired social interaction. As early as infancy, a baby with ASD may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. A child with ASD may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement. Children with an ASD may fail to respond to their names and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they cant understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and dont watch other peoples faces for clues about appropriate behaviour. They may lack empathy. Many children with an ASD engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behaviour such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of I or me. Children with an ASD dont know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favourite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.

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. Music session in progress with Mrs.Chaitra and Mrs.Swetha. Our little super singers singing in unison leaving everyone spellbound.

Music and Lyrics

Like tiny soldiers performing their tasks meticulously, each one was carefully executing his/her plan. They assigned and split up the work load evenly amongst themselves. A few cleared the classroom by shifting the tables and chairs, piling them up neatly in the corner. Others went and brought mats. A few others waited patiently and as soon as the mats arrived, arranged them neatly on the ground, parallel to one another. Then all of them sat in rows all ready with eagerness glittering in their innocent eyes. All these arrangements had been done in a matter of minutes for Mrs.Swetha and Mrs.Chaitra, who had volunteered to take music sessions at our school. As soon as they entered our class, our children greeted them warmly with broad smiles. They were overwhelmed by the welcome and without wasting any time the session began. They started the session by chanting Om in sync with the Sruthi and songs on Lord Ganesha and Lord Krishna followed. The children sang melodiously and within a few minutes they had learnt the songs by heart leaving everyone absolutely spellbound. The session was lively as Mrs.Swetha and Mrs.Chaitra made it an interactive one by asking questions, kindling their curiosity, to which our children answered correctly in a jiffy. Instead of teaching song after song, they made the session really informative by explaining the importance of Sruthi, Thalam and Ragam to our children. The most enjoyable part of the session was when they taught a song on rain along with hand gestures. In addition they also taught our children how to make rain sounds by clapping and clicking fingers which our children thoroughly enjoyed. It was so realistic that it felt like monsoon. One hour flew by and time had come to end the music class. Our little super singers sang all the songs once more and ended the session by chanting Om again. Our children loved these songs so much that they even performed them on our annual day function. -

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It was the most awaited day of the year for AIKYA. The air was filled with enthusiasm and energy. The green room was buzzing with with cute, smart, and bright young faces running here and there. Our champs were busy getting ready for the silver jubilee annual day celebrations of AIKYA. The day began with a prayer to the almighty followed by presentations on AIKYA and Early Intervention. Lion K.S.Kannan, Lion. Venkatraman and Lion.D.Saivenugopal graced the occasion. Mrs. Revathy Sankaran was the chief guest. Soon the cultural part of the days program began and our little superstars sang and danced stealing everyones hearts. In some of the dances our boys dressed up like girls and deceived the audience with their graceful moves. The event was tightly packed with a variety of dance numbers and with help of highly efficient staff like Mrs.Sumathy, Mrs.Manju, Mr.Kannan and Mrs.Kala costumes were changed almost at the bat of an eyelid. Ms.R.Srilakshmi did the compering for the program. Like a cherry on top of the cake, the successful alumni of AIKYA Mr.Sriram, Mr.Shrinath, Mr.Ram Keerthi, Mr.Prabhakar and Mr.Venkata Varadan were felicitated by the dignitaries. Many parents shared their personal experiences with AIKYA as to how AIKYA had transformed their childrens lives and in turn their own lives. The lucky dip contest was also held and prizes were given to the winners by Mrs.Revathy Sankaran. The event was covered by newspapers like Mylapore Times. The day came to an end with the prize distribution ceremony and prizes were given away to all the children who had participated in the event.

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Our Teachers
Ms. Shalini Ilanahai came to AIKYA as a full time volunteer on July 2013. She has a bachelors degree in journalism and had worked for esteemed newspapers like The Indian Express. She is fondly known for her calm and composed nature. She is very soft spoken and was always extremely patient with our children. She often used to surprise our children by giving them little treats and chocolates. Our children love taking trips to the park and going on shopping expeditions with her. Her commitment and determination are something worth mentioning. Apart from this she also helped draft AIKYAs February newsletter which we are sure you loved. She has now begun her journey towards another dream of pursuing her post graduation degree in Singapore. AIKYA loves her and will miss a wonderful teacher. We wish her the very best of luck in her future endeavours.

Art Corner

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Taare Zameen Par Volunteering experience at AIKYA

I came to know about AIKYA through one of its part time volunteers Megha Rao. I was quite hesitant and wondered as to how I could help teach special children. With a lot of doubts and confusion I dialled Mrs.Parvathy Vishwanaths number. She asked me to come in on the following Monday. My head was still filled with a lot of unanswered questions as I reached the gate of AIKYA. I stood for a few seconds staring at the board that hung there which read - School for special needs. My train of thought was disturbed by a polite excuse me from a cute young boy about ten or twelve years old who was wearing neatly ironed uniform, his hair oiled and combed. He held my hand and guided me to the visitors room and asked me to sit there. I gaped at him only to realise that Mrs.Parvathy was standing there. After a small briefing, I went in to join the classroom. As soon as I sat there I was bombarded with questions as to what my name was and if I was going to be their teacher etc. The moment I told them I was going to be their teacher, they all took out their notebooks and texts and told me what they had learnt. I suddenly felt as though all the questions in my head had been answered. My awe for these children further increased when I saw them dance during their dance practice sessions. Right from clearing the classroom and setting up the CD player everything was done quickly and neatly. By the time I joined AIKYA these children had already begun their practice for the annual day celebrations. As I saw these children perform, all my inhibitions were gone and without even me realising it I was singing and dancing with them. It was quite a treat to see each correcting the others dance moves while completely forgetting to dance their parts in the meantime. On one of the occasions, I danced a step out of turn and in no time I heard all of them calling out to me in unison, correcting me. It became quite clear as to how meticulously these children follow things. As the clock struck 12.30 they put back the furniture and took out their colourful lunch boxes. With their inquisitive eyes, they scanned quickly what the other has brought. Sharing comes naturally to them and by the end of each lunch hour they ensure that everyone finishes their food. At the end of the day when a child leaves he/she will definitely call out to every other person and bid good bye. While some children constantly stare at the gate eagerly waiting for their parents the others dont even bother to look. AIKYA is situated on a busy street where dozens of vehicles pass by. I was absolutely stunned when they can identify the sound of their auto amidst the chaotic traffic noise and without even having to take a look they pack their bags and prepare to leave. This is the picture of a typical day at AIKYA, however, I can assure you that each day will teach you different things as these children never cease to surprise you. One of the mornings as I hailed an auto to go to school, the autowala asked for a ridiculous charge which irritated me. Usually when such a bad mood sets in early in the morning, it ruins my entire day but to my astonishment, the moment I entered AIKYA and saw those lovely faces all my irritation and anger disappeared into thin air. Having worked at other places I know for sure that this wouldnt have happened to me anywhere else. That is when I realised the kind of positive effect this place had on me. Srilakshmi Ramaswamy

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A Tribute
Many a times it happens that an individual engaged in community based activities makes extra ordinary and outstanding contribution in her/his chosen field. The beneficiaries themselves would be the first ones to recognize and respect such an individual and shower them their affection and attention. No matter what one does, this is the pinnacle to ones sense of accomplishment: the worth of the recognition being greater then awarded by the Government or any other agency. All this just about sums up Ms. Parvathy Viswanath, Founder Director, AIKYA, a school for special children. It is, by no means, an easy task to embark upon servicing the needs of these mentally handicapped children, especially so in India where the parents of such disabled children keep their wards behind veils of secrecy and so keep these wards beyond the reach of assistance. Twenty two years in any field of social service is a long term. Such a long term is something to be celebrated, not only because of it sustenance, but also because of continued commitment. AIKYA, under Ms. Parvathy Viswanaths, direction and guidance is over 16 years old. One-point program or outreaching has AIKYA as an abode of shelter, security and progress for MR children. They have for the first time in their lives, found in Parvathy, a mother, a mentor and a guide to shape a future that they can confidently face. Ms. Parvathys noble contribution towards special children is complete and total. It is so in the sense that with her programs she had made it easier for mentally disabled children to be rehabilitated and to assume with dignity and honour their own place in the society. Ms. Parvathys efforts have particularly caught public attention in one area which is in organizing mega events for the special children whether it is cultural meet or a sports event, witness Chennai Olympics. Her name is virtually synonymous with that extraordinary event. It is quite amazing to observe her, bundles of energy running around like an enthusiastic teenager in whatever debut she takes up. It has been my privilege to be associated for quite sometime now with this great lady. I always found her to be quite receptive to new ideas and advice and never adopted I know it all attitude that one usually comes from individuals of standing and reputation in her chosen field. Ms. Parvathy has an extended vision, she too has a goal to reach with deep sincerity of purpose, that she pursues her objective with a professional approach. Has she not made AIKYA a unique institution, a genuine beacon of hope for so many children with special needs. Ms. Parvathy is not only an individual of outstanding merit but also an institution by herself. Apart from AIKYA, Lions movement has been close to her heart. She has contributed significantly to Lions movement in community based activities, especially the out-reaching programmes for the welfare of the Gypsies at Kotturpuram. She achieved great success in that project while others thought that it was impossible even to attempt it! I value my association with Ms. Parvathy Viswanath as it was a privilege, a unique privilege, I take pride in. It has a special place in all of my social service activities to date and I wish her the very best in all her endeavours and let God be with her all the way! Late K. Ramamurthy President Bawani Memorial Trust . We miss him and keep moving with his blessings

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To All Who Are / Who Could be Concerned

Do you know? Babies with Intellectual disability could be born to one of thousands mothers Infants and toddlers from birth to 3 years of age with delayed development or at risk of having disabilities benefit from Early Intervention Programs. Children with delayed development especially children with Autism benefit a lot by Sensory Integration Therapy. Children with ADHD need structure, simplified instructions and positive handling. Children wih Downs Syndrome learn through imitation. Epileptic children need special medication & special attention. All children with special needs benefit from loving home, early intervention, appropriate education and positive attitude of the community. Mentally retarded children are not mentally ill people. Downs syndrome condition is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in some cells in the body. Autistic children are not schizophrenic. Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders of movement and posture. ADHD Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder have problems in learning, memory & attention. Dyslexic children have problems in reading and writing. Learning disabled children will have difficulty with the mechanical aspects of writing and problems with spelling, punctuation and handwriting. What can I do? Oh yes, you certainly can do a lot. You would be helping parents of special children a great deal By showing understanding and acceptance By offering to baby sit for a few hours in a month By allowing special children to visit your home By allowing your children to visit special children and play with them By understanding the value of, and need for interaction with Special people By giving them an opportunity for full participation in the life of the community which is long overdue, a basic human right that has often been denied to them.

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Jagrithi

About AIKYA
AIKYA aims to Improve and enhance functional capabilities of persons with special needs like Autism, ADHD, DS and other Learning Disorders. . Early Intervention Programs for Children with delayed development (0-3 Years) School for children with ADHD, Autism, DS, Learning Disabilities and Slow learners Therapy services Vocational training Training in sports, music, dance, yoga, instrumental music Training in computers Recreation Centre with indoor sports and GYM Work Centre for adults Training and counseling for parents of children with special needs Short term training courses for parents and volunteers ----------------------------Do you want to volunteer with AIKYA? Please call 9444960643 or mail to aikyafoundation1989@gmail.com

April 2nd is observed as world Autism Day World Autism Awareness Day - has been held every year since 9 September 1989.The resolution had four main components: the establishment of 2 April as WAAD participation of UN organizations, member states, NGOs and all private & public organizations in WAAD raise awareness of autism on all levels in society to ask the UN Secretary- General to deliver this message to member states and all other UN organs.

Where are we located?

2/9, Karpagambal Nagar Main Road, Luz, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 ; Mobile: 9444960643 Support us : Volunteer / Donate / adopt a project / adopt a child Visit our Website: www.aikya.org Please Donate: http://www.aikya.org/payment.asp