Special Education
We provide education in a structured way, designed individually for students who have some special needs like challenges with learning, communication challenges, emotional and behavioral disorders, intellectual deficits and developmental disorders. We promote functional learning, which is enabling a person affected with autism or intellectual deficits or multiple disabilities, to meet up the daily life challenges and to be independent in life as much as possible by utilizing his/her abilities and potentials.
A team of efficient and dedicated special educators are engaged in Ahead. One-to-one sessions, group sessions, play, music, dance, art and craft classes are regularly incorporated in our structured educational curriculum.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Special Education is actually a team work of several professionals and the parents, who are the best teachers of a child. Occupational therapy addresses various problems in a child, it assesses core areas in which a child needs assistance or special interventions to utilize his/her potentials and increase functional abilities.
Sensory Integration Problem arises due to lack of balance or inadequacy in different sensory systems. Occupational therapy is the key to enhance sensory integration and enables an individual to respond more appropriately to his/her environment.
Ahead provides occupational therapy by well trained and experienced professionals.
We have a sensory stimulation unit,where different kinds of tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive therapy equipment are utilized to provide service to the students.
Physiotherapy is concerned with the remediation of impairments and disabilities and the promotion of mobility, functional ability, quality of life and movement potential through examination, evaluation, diagnosis and physical intervention carried out by Physical Therapists also known as Physical Rehabilitation Therapists.
In Ahead we have well equipped Physiotherapy unit under the supervision of an eminent Physiotherapist, practicing for last 30 years in her field. She is assisted by a dedicated team of workers.
Communication is needed to express your need and mind to others and to yourself too. A person failing to communicate in proper ways faces problems in everyday life and cannot interact with his/her environment, which results in frustration and non-fulfillment of the benefits of life.
Speech is the mode of verbal communication and there are various other non-verbal ways to communicate.
Our professional Speech therapist, aided by our special educators help a child, facing challenges in communication, in different ways and improve his quality of life.
Autistic children are highly benefited by this therapy as it stimulates urges to communicate and interact with the environment and come out of their own world.
In our Out Patient Department (OPD)we provide several professional services to children and adults, affected under Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mental Retardation, Hearing Impairment and Multiple Disabilities. Also adult persons suffering from loss of abilities due to physical sickness or accidents will be treated in this section.
Specialists will provide service at a much considerate rate. Many professionals will be working as a team – occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech therapist, special educator along with psychologist and parent counselor forms the team.
Every individual is different in his/her own ways. Still there are certain characteristics or developmental milestones which are more or less acquired at the same age by all. If someone has lags in attaining those milestones alarm should be raised. In first 3 years of our lives we learn the most. Early years of life is the best time to address needs. Genetic factors are predetermined and cannot be changed, but properly planned Early Intervention Program as positive influence on child and enhance his development to the maximum potential. Early Intervention Program cures as well as it is remedial.
For age group of 0-5 years in early intervention program -
Our ultimate objective is to make an individual ready for a vocation, to make him/her independent in life by giving him a positive direction. Guide him/her to increase and utilize abilities and potentials and enjoy full benefits of life.
In our pre-vocational section we train students of all ages, which include adults too. Painting decorative earthen pots, making paper bags, envelopes, greeting cards, candles, beading jewelry, stitching, weaving, fabric coloring are only some to mention. Grinding spices like coriander, cumin, turmeric, different pulses etc, weighing and packaging are all been done by our vocational students under supervision of teachers and helpers.
Expansion of pre-vocational section is one of the prime future plans of Ahead now. We need volunteers and funds for it! We are getting good response and support from the parents, well- wishers and donors.
Two school buses are donated to Ahead by Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropoliton and Life Insurance Corporation India Ltd. These buses are specially designed with most modern amenities; above all these have hydraulic lift facilities by which wheel chairs can be hoisted inside the buses. Bus service will start very soon.
Students will be able to avail this service at a very reasonable rate. We believe these buses will help working parents and those students who face problems or are unable to travel in public transport