Current Activities

Presently the school is running 5 days-a-week, viz. Monday to Friday in two sessions viz., Morning (10.30AM – 1.30PM) and Evening (2.00PM-5.00PM).

Presently the total strength of student is 72 (including the part-timers week) and staff strength is 25 including Psychologists, Special Educators, Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, Music Therapists, and trained Care Givers. Ours is the only organization of this kind in Kolkata, and may be in the whole of Eastern India, which is dedicated solely to the cause of Autism.

In the year 2002, we have shifted from our initial smaller accommodation to a little bigger one of 7800 sq.ft. consisting of 2 apartments. Mostly, we try to maintain a 1:1 teacher-student ratio. The students have been classified in several groups according to their abilities.

The groups are: - Play Group, Pre-Nursery A, Pre-Nursery B, Nursery, Prep-I, Prep-II, Class I and Class II.

The syllabi of Class I & II were prepared following the main-stream standard. The Institution has started a regular system of examination to introduce the students to mainstreaming. A half-yearly report card is given on cognitive, communication, self-help, pre vocation, problem behaviour and socialization for all the groups. The ‘Cognitive’ of Class I and Class II are the mainstream academic syllabus.

For older students (age ranging from 12 years to 22 years), the school started a small wing of PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING in November 2000 with 12 students and 3 trainers / teachers.

A good number of our teachers (Psychologists and Special Educators) have obtained special training in Chennai, Secunderabad and Kolkata (organized by NIMH) on Autism and different areas of mental disability.

Trainees in HRD programme
 

Student Selection Criteria & Teaching Methods

At the time of admission, every parent has to get their ward assessed by ‘Childhood Autism Rating Scale’ and three interview schedules collected from a Bengali book entitled ‘Autism’ written by Dr. (Mrs.) Mallika Banerjee, Reader & Head, Deptt. of Psychology, University of Calcutta. After a rapport is established, each student is assessed by different teachers on five aspects

a.       Cognition  

b.       communication

c.        Motor

d.       Self-help and Socialization

e.       Problem behaviour

The first four areas are assessed by Early Education Programme for Autistic Children (portage) published by Aarons & Gittens (1992). All areas are quantified by mental age in months. Problem behaviour is assessed using a problem behaviour checklist developed by the Institution under the guidance of Dr. M. Banerjee. Then the item, which should have been performed by the subject according to his/her physical age, is taken as ‘Target Behaviour’ for the next session. Once the behaviour is achieved by the subject, it is taken to be ‘Achieved Behaviour’ and the next one is then ‘Target Behaviour’. By this process the achievement is advanced and acquired. After every 3 months, reports are given about the achieved and the target. Everyday the parents get equipped, either in written form or verbally, by the method used for reducing problem behaviour and upgrading cognitive and other skills of the child.

Teaching Method :   
      (1) TEACCH

      (2) Lovaas Technique

      (3) MISC (More Intelligent and Sensitive Child)

                     Programme –Advance Research

                     Training Seminar (ARTS), Canada.

      (4) Music Therapy

      (5) Play Therapy

      (6) Vestibular Stimulation

 
Cognitive Classroom


Physiotherapy


Music Therapy


Play Therapy With Toys 


Dance Therapy


Cognitive Stimulation


Vestibular Stimulation


Self Help Education
 

Teaching Aids :       
      (1) Montessori Teaching Materials
       (2)  Play Materials – 
                a)       For Cognitive Developments
                b)       For Social Developments
                c)       For Self-help Skill Development
       (3)      GSR with bio-feed-back (for measurement of arousal level)
       (4)      EEG alpha
       (5)      Musical Instruments
       (6)        WISC, BKT, Terman-Merrill Intelligence Test, Progressive 
                Matrices, Seguin Form Board, Dearborn Form Board for I.Q.  
                Testing
      (7)      Autistic Continuum
      (8)      CARS
      (9)      DST
      (10) Mechanical Ability Tests
      (11) Different materials for vestibular stimulation etc
      (12) Portage: Early education progremme - Autistic Continuum
      (13) Functional Accessment scale