The School of Dignity - ONE STOP SANATORIUM FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN

1 in every 10th child in India lives with a disability. About 52 million are estimated to show symptoms of developmental disabilities, complex conditions that cause cognitive, physical, sensory challenges and are often invisible. Despite the scale of the problem, 75% of such children are out of schooling in any form. The sobering statistic is a reflection of the lack of child-centred, accessible educational programs that can cater to their unique needs and put them on paths to full participation in society. Health care and education gaps, lack of access to resources for careers to navigate behaviour issues, low stimulating experiences in the home environment, poverty, malnutrition and other such factors can erode children’s ability to learn and reach their potential, leaving them at risk for extreme social exclusion, bound in homes or long-term institutions.

NISSARC(Nithilyam Special School and Adelaide Rehabilitation Centre) proposes to change this scenario through an evidence-based, multi-disciplinary, child-centred project, “The School of Dignity(TSOD)that offers each child an integrated, bespoke package consisting of therapy, education, home program and livelihood interventions. The School of Dignity((TSOD) consists of an array of services that are designed and individualized to assist children and families to navigate challenges and develop children to explore a life full of possibilities.

Learning occurs through engagement. Children develop knowledge and skills by exploring the world around them, through play, social transactions with peers and adults and meaningful activities that help them develop in various areas that can range from attention span, walking to creativity and exercising agency. Lived experiences such as dinner with family, making art, taking a bus are as important as daily activities such as eating, bathing, walking. Apart from serving an unmet need in the geography, TSOD differs from typical special education approaches in its emphasis on social inclusion milestones beyond acquiring medically-oriented development milestones.

NISSARC)Nithilyam Special School and Adelaide Rehabilitation Centre) has been executing interventions for children with developmental disabilities since 2016 by a mother of a Special child with Cerebral Palsy name Nithilya & thus formed Nithilyam Spastic children welfare trust. We began with two children and currently service about 70 children. Our work has found success with 20 of the 70 participants in our program achieving various mainstreaming milestones in the past four years. These range from successful completion of Class 12th exams, participating in sports and other events in mainstream schools to small earnings from part time employment that leverages the unique strengths of each child. One of our participants on the autistic spectrum has emerged as an artist and won accolades from the UNO.

The proposed project builds on this existing body of work to systematize therapeutic interventions and increase focus on social inclusion milestones. The COVID pandemic has thrown challenges in pursuit of education for all children and more so children with developmental disabilities who are already left out of the system. In this light, the proposed project proposes to strengthen home-based programming complemented with in-center focused therapy sessions as a separate component.

The objective of the project is to forge pathways to self-sustainable, independent lives with the necessary support for children with developmental disabilities. The project is expected to end the social exclusion of children with developmental disabilities and increase their participation in all spheres of living - social, economic and cultural.

NISSARC was founded by a mother of a child with cerebral palsy with the hope that every child can reach their full potential with the right supports at the right time. The project aims to extend this vision of NISSARC through tangible, measurable steps that participants will take in progressing in daily activities, education, health, relationships, leisure and recreation and work.