Special
Needs
Shikshantar
follows an inclusive, integrated approach for children
with special needs. Our greatest strength is our non-judgmental
environment and the spaces available for children to move
from individual to group needs. This allows children to
learn and progress at individual paces. It also implies
that facilitation and assessment processes are complex
and challenging. Nevertheless, they address children's
needs to a large extent.
Shikshantar
does not have a special learning centre for children with
special needs at present. We believe that every child
is unique and it is equally true for children with special
needs. We consider it unfair to club children with special
needs as one kind because their needs are usually very
different and they seek individualized support.
We have consciously worked on enabling an inclusive, integrated
model of special education. Children with special needs
are in the same classroom with all children. They go through
the same daily curriculum. Class facilitators give special
attention through short interactions during group and
individual time. Class facilitators are guided by the
leadership team and the Special Educator to develop an
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each child with
special needs. These plans are shared with parents and
they are a part of honing the plans.
Where
felt necessary, the Special Educator may sit with a child
with special needs separately for short periods of time
either in the class or near the class (garden spaces,
the library, the resource room, terrace). The primary
goal of the guiding team is to enable the class facilitators
to build enduring bonds with all children, including children
with special needs. The need for skills development is
assessed as per the capacity, interests, age level and
developmental concerns of the child. We do not lay 'extra'
emphasis on helping a special needs child "catch up" with
other children of their class. On the contrary, our purpose
is to identify the child's present set of strengths and
build on them as per a range of developmental norms, keeping
the individual child's needs in mind. All special needs
work is child-focused and guided by observing the child
carefully; incorporating a range of insights from people
who spend the maximum time with the child at home and
in school; consulting the child; providing time for individual
change; and by developing a formative understanding of
the IEP.
Our infrastructure spaces are designed to allow easy access
by wheel chairs through ramps all across the school campus.
Our facilitators and administrative teams are trained
and guided to be sensitive to individual needs. Where
found necessary, for a couple of children with special
needs, we have had parents stay in school throughout the
school year to ensure the safety of the child.
If a family has a child with special needs, we urge the
parents to carefully understand our philosophy and its
implications for children with special needs.
