Early Childhood Intervention Center

A program to prepare our youngest children (age 2-5) with special needs to enter school

The Idea

We set up the Early Childhood Intervention Center (EIC) when we realized that many children were unable to gain entry into regular play schools and were therefore missing out on the ‘early intervention’ that is so crucial for all children. Today, the EIC 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.

The EIC is headed by an occupational therapist and run by regular school teachers and a Child Development Aide (CDA, trained at Ummeed). It provides ample proof that educating children with special needs is well within the capability of any individual with the right attitude.

Our Approach

Child-centered play-way philosophy

Through play, song, stories and snacks (of course!), each child learns and grows according to his or her own ability. This principle is at the heart of all the EIC’s activities.

Active parent involvement

Parents who accompany their children to the EIC are able to learn activities that can be done at home. They also beneﬁt from the support they receive from other families as many of them share similar life situations.

A model for early childhood development

In addition to serving the children that are enrolled, the EIC also seeks to be a model early childhood development intervention program for children with special needs. Ummeed's EIC teachers now visit several city preschools to train their teachers on how to include children with special needs in their classrooms. Teachers also have the opportunity to observe Ummeed's EIC in order to learn more about the methods followed.

The Team

Contact Us

To learn more about the EIC, please email us at

info@ummeed.org