Teaching children with special needs

The teachers from the city had a session on curricular adaptation for children with special needs at a primary level, under the inclusive education activity programme of the Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan at Vasavy Mahila Mandali in the city.

During the programme, resource persons have incorporated knowledge over the challenges taken by a teacher to deal with these children with disabilities. Speaking on the occasion, Resource person J Sri Lakshmi spoke on how these special children are born, citing the examples of marriages that happen among people related by blood.

She spoke elaborately on the identification and enrollment of these children into schools, teaching and bringing up of such children by trained teachers, education facility at home, special needs, medical certificates, escort allowance, scholarships and benefits distribution, easy surgeries for disability, training for teachers, need for ramp with railings, Disabled friendly toilets, awareness to teachers, parents and public and organising World Disable Day.

As a part of the campaign that kick started from November 16, teachers working in government schools are asked to participate in the Inclusive Education programme that is simultaneously being held at Social Service Center in Vijayawada along with the Vasavya Mahila Mandali and Eshwar Residency at Machilipatnam. Teachers during this programme will learn to convey messages, understand and take care of such children who need special care, said the coordinator R Rammohan Naik.

Also, the awareness programme included the practical session as to how the children with special needs indulge in games and sports (adaptive games). They were given a demonstration of a few indoor games that can be taught to such children at schools. Master trainers G Srinivasa Rao, support group K Kumar Madhu and others were present.