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Ummeed saw an opportunity to impact large numbers of children with special needs by working with schools. The Outreach Project at Ummeed was established 3 years ago to help schools include children with emotional and behavioral concerns, as well as developmental disabilities.
Children with special needs present challenges to teachers and schools who are often ill-equipped to deal with them appropriately. Under such circumstances the school climate can be extremely detrimental for these children, who may eventually drop out or be asked to leave.
Ummeed identifies suitable schools that are open to the philosophy of ‘inclusion’, yet require the know-how to make it work. After an analysis of current school practice, we make recommendations and work with the school to put these into practice. The ultimate goal is getting the organization to be self-sufficient in its dealings with children special needs.
Over the duration of the program, Ummeed works with a team of teachers at the school and trains one member of the school staff to be a ‘mental health worker’ (MHW). Teachers and MHWs are trained to identify children with special needs and shown how to manage and support these children in the existing classroom environment.
Teachers are shown new teaching strategies and behavior management techniques. They are taught how to develop and implement individualized plans for children with special needs. Mental health workers are trained to work individually with children that are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. They also conduct sessions for parents and children to help them cope with various issues they may be facing.
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Early Intervention Center |
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Ummeed’s Early Intervention Centre (EIC) is a specialized program for some of our youngest patients – children between the ages of 2 and 5.
We set up the EIC when we realized that many of these children were unable to gain entry into regular playschools and were therefore missing out on the ‘early intervention’ that is so crucial for children with special needs.
At Ummeed’s EIC, we stimulate all-round development and help prepare our young participants enter regular or special school. Through play, song, stories and snacks (of course!), each child learns and grows according to his/her own ability. This child-centered, play-way philosophy is at the heart of all the EIC’s activities.
Parents who accompany their children to the EIC are able to learn activities that can be done at home. More importantly, they benefit from the mutual support of others who are struggling with the same issues as themselves. Parents tell us this social support has proven to be incredibly valuable to them.
In addition to serving the children that are enrolled, the EIC also seeks to be a ‘model preschool’ for children with special needs. Run by preschool teachers with no formal training in special education, the EIC proves that educating children with special needs is well within the capability of any teacher with the right attitude. The EIC teachers now visit several city preschools to help train teachers how to include children with special needs in their classrooms. Teachers who are interested in learning their methods are given an opportunity to observe and learn.
When the EIC began, there were just 4 children enrolled. Today it has grown to full capacity, and the long waiting list plainly demonstrates the crying need for early childhood centers for children with special needs in India.
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Child Development Aide Program |
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 The Child Development Aide (CDA) Program, funded in part by USAID, was started by Ummeed in April 2009 with the aim of empowering community workers to identify children with special needs in their communities and provide basic interventions for these children.
In a country like India where there is widespread ignorance about disability, children with special needs often go undiagnosed in underprivileged populations. And often, even if a diagnosis is made, there is poor access to intervention as therapists are in short supply and most families simply cannot afford their services. In such circumstances, educated community aides have a huge role to play.
The CDA program aims to educate caregivers (teachers and social workers) who are already working with children in schools, rehabilitation centers, orphanages and other community organizations.
With the six month training at Ummeed, CDAs will gain an understanding of normal as well as delayed development, and will be able to perform three important roles in their communities:
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