The India Post, 17th November, 2008 : The Chandigarh Administration is concerned for the proper and absolute development of Children with special needs. Keeping this in view the UT Administration has established a School ‘Prayaas’ for these children. The Indian Council for Child Welfare with a Grant-in-Aid from the Department of Social Welfare Chandigarh Administration has set up the school.
Children with severe multiple or complex, disabilities which interferes with their ability to communicate, or have difficulties in independent movement, is the focus of this institution. The priority of such children is to get Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Remedial education before they are ready to derive benefit from education in a main stream school, where such facilities are not available. Also, the crowded class rooms of even the best schools with 45 to 50 students per class, hardly allow a teacher to spend one minute on each child. In such an environment a slow learner or a child with dyslexia finds the environment frustrating and often dropout of the school. Parents often neglect treatment of disability of their child lest academic education should suffer which is clearly not conducive to effective treatment of Remedial defects.
The Prayaas Building located in Sector 38-B, on Dakshin Marg and is spread over 3 acres of land. The school has taken the specialized staff to handle these special children. Each group of 10 children would be taken care of by one teacher and one helper. Children will be grouped according to dominant disability like Autism, Cerebral, Palsy, Hearing Impairment and specific learning like disability Dyslexia, each follow a programme most suited to its development.
A special learning enhancement center has been established for children. Facilities have been created for Yoga, Music Therapy, Dance Therapy, academic education, and education in routine/wing skills Children are taken to the Therapist for any treatment that they need i.e., the therapy center located in the same building. Therapy programme is supervised by Senior Consultants Pediatrics and Eye Specialists of the prestigious PGIMR, Chandigarh.
Admission is now open on "First Come First Serve Basis". Parents are advised to contact Administrative Officer, Prayaas, Dakshin Marg, Sector 38-B, Chandigarh for more information at telephone number 0172-2690872.