AIKYA Newsletter - February

8/12/2019 AIKYA Newsletter - February

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AGRITHI AIKYA NEWSLETTER Iss

JagrithiAikya Newslette

February 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

Seasons greetings to all our readers

February was quite hectic with lot of

activities. Aikya participated in various

competitions organized by Rotary club,

Lady Andal school, Malar culturalacademy, CBHS and the program

organized by the social welfare minister.

It was award galore for the kids. They

brought laurels for AIKYA and the

teachers were proud too. The interns

from Stella Maris from different

disciplines like B.Com, NSS appreciated

the support extended by Aikya.

Students from New College organized

sports and arts competitions as part of

their CSR activity. The kids and parentsare looking forward to the celebrations

in March.

This year is very special for us as we

celebrate 25 years of service and

rededicate ourselves to the cause of

serving people with special needs. Do

join us and encourage the kids @ the

event.

21st

March 2014 marks the World Down

Syndrome Day and each year the voice

of people with Down syndrome, and

those who live and work with them,

grows louder. But there is still so much

more we can do.Again, April is the

AUTISM Awareness Month and April 2nd

is World Autism Awareness day.

Light it up blue celebrates Autism

Awareness. Join us on this day and

throughout the month and support our

effort and show your solidarity.

- PARVATHY VISHWANATH

Aikya wins accolades

Celebrating fine arts

From the DirectorsDesk

"Celebration of 25 years of service " on Sunday, March 30thfrom 10 AM at Ragha Sudha Hall, Mylapore, behindNagesawara Rao Park, Chennai - 4 . Do join us without fail.


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AGRITHI AIKYA NEWSLETTER | Issue #

Similar to hyperkinetic disorder,

neurodevelopmental type in which

there are significant problems of

attention and/or hyperactivity and

acting impulsively that are not

appropriate for a person's age. These

symptoms must begin by age six to

twelve and be present for more than six

months for a diagnosis to be made. In

school-aged individuals the lack of focus

may result in poor school performance.

Despite being the most commonly

studied and diagnosed disorder inchildren and adolescents, the cause in

the majority of cases is unknown. It

affects about 6 to 7 percent of children.

Rates are similar between countries and

depend mostly on how it is diagnosed.

ADHD is approximately three times

more frequent in boys than in girls.

About 30 to 50 percent of people

diagnosed in childhood continue to have

symptoms into adulthood and between

2 and 5 percent of adults have the

condition.

The condition can be difficult to tell.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD, similar to hyperkinetic disorder,

neuron-developmental type in which

there are significant l apart from other

disorders as well as that of high normal

activity. ADHD management usually

involves some combination of

counseling, lifestyle changes, and

medications. Medications are only

recommended as a first-line treatment

in children who have severe symptoms

and may be considered for those with

moderate symptoms who either refuse

or fail to improve with counseling. Long-

term effects of medications are not

clear and they are not recommended in

preschool aged children. Adolescents

and adults tend to develop coping skills,

which make up for some or all of their

impairments.

Sensory processing problems

Sensory processing disorders are

impairments in responding to sensory

stimuli such as impairments in

detection, modulation, or interpretation

of stimuli. Sensory processing problems

impact the responses of children to

sensory events in daily life. 5.3% of the

kindergarten children meet screening

criteria for sensory processing disorders

according to their parental reports. One

type of sensory processing problem is

sensory over- responsivity or sensory

hypersensitivity. That is, individuals

respond to sensory stimuli in the way

that is faster, longer, or more intense

than what is expected. This response

can be towards any types of sensory

stimuli. Sensory over-responsivity can

be considered as an independent

diagnosis. For example, a child with

tactile sensitivity or defensiveness mig

be defensive for hair brushing and/or

haircuts because she/he cannot tolera

it easily.

Another form of sensory processing

problems is under - responsivity.

Individuals with under- responsivity ar

unaware or they are slow to respond t

sensory input. The third type is sensory

seeking, where individuals crave or

display interest in sensory experiences

Sensory discrimination problems are

another type of sensory processing

problem characterized by difficulty

interpreting the specific characteristics

of sensory stimuli. There are multiple

sensory modalities but they are not

separate and interact with each other.

About ADHD

Tips to help kids stay organized and follow directions

Schedule. Keep the same routine every day, from wake-up time to bedtime. Include time for homework, outdoorplay, and indoor activities. Keep the schedule on the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in the kitchen. Write changes

on the schedule as far in advance as possible.

Organizeeveryday items. Have a place for everything, and keep everything in its place. This includes clothing,

backpacks, and toys.Use homework and notebook organizers. Use organizers for school material and supplies.

Stress to your child the importance of writing down assignments and bringing home the necessary books.

Be clear and consistent. Children with ADHD need consistent rules they can understand and follow.

Give praise or rewards when rules are followed. Children with ADHD often receive and expect criticism. Look for

good behavior, and praise the good behavior.


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A Walk to RememberbyShalini Ilanahai

In a corner of the local grocery store, a student in striped red uniform picks out needle-like carrots from the steel

rack. He tucks the shiny, orange pile safely in a plastic bag, while his bespectacled friend runs his hand gently

through the pile of beans in the next shelf. They are very particular about choosing vegetables that are smooth

and firm.

Its my turn, says the eager youngster with round frame glasses. His eyes are fixed on the billing counter. They

nod in unison and stand in line to pay their dues. I grin and remind myself that this is not just another routine

interaction.

While the word grocery- shopping conjures up images of farm- fresh vegetables, neatly stacked bottles of

delicious knick knacks, and air-conditioned aisles, not many would think of it as a learning experience for

children with special needs.

As a volunteer in Aikya, I take my class to weekly shopping trips to the nearby grocery store, Pazhai Mudhir

Nilayam in Mylapore.Our shopping list is so simple that even a child can breeze through it.And they do so with

disarming confidence. From interacting with fellow shoppers and the staff members to handling money for

their small purchases, our students are learning to embrace social interactions in their own way. In addition, they

also love identifying the colourful vegetables and fruits stocked in the shop making the trip a fun-filled group

activity which brings to life the pictures in their Environmental Science text book.

Road navigation has been an important outcome of our little experiment. Our walks to the store laid the

blueprint for traffic awareness. They now know that Red means Stop, Yellow means Wait and green means

Go. Whats more? They can even give you directions to the store in a jiffy.

Once we finish our purchase, we are back in school to master the fine art of cutting vegetables. The little master

chefs take turns to handle the knife and cut the farm fresh root vegetables with utmost concentration, and wrap

up their errand in a matter of minutes.

This outside classroom learning experience has been a great way to teach life skills to my class

Vegetable cutting session in

progress with NSS volunteers: The

little master chefs take turns to

handle the knife and cut the farm

fresh root vegetables with utmostconcentration, and wrap up their

errand in a matter of minutes.


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HITTING A HIGH NOTE

Dance Recital

Events and Achievements

Snapshot of the day

Our students captivated

judges and audience alik

with their scintillating

performance on Februar

15

th

in Lady Andal schoo

Aikya Students win Laurels

The students of Aikya won awards galore at a cultural event

held at Lady Andal School for children with special needs on

February 15th

.In the musical front, Sai Balaji and Sai Ritish won

the 3rd prize in singing competition for juniors.In addition,

Yogesh, Kumail and Rishab clinched the first prize in group

dance performance with their charming tribal dance

performance. Our students, Sai Ritish and Yogesh won the 3rd

prize for second group dance performance.Giving room to

their creativity, our students also excelled in the arts

competition. While Rishab won the Consolation Prize in juniors

category, Kumail earned the 3rd Prize in the seniors category.

Annual Day Celebrations

Our students participated in the annual school day

celebrations of Aikya School in St. Thomas Mount Road on

February 14.They captured the imagination of the audience

with their Bharatnatyam dance recital.

Dance Recital

Our students participated in a cultural programme organized

by Malar Cultural Association this month in the Adi Kesavan

Temple,Mylapore. Their lively performance was appreciated by

the audience


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AGRITHI AIKYA NEWSLETTER Iss

My mom has been associated with special needs

children for over 12 years now. Having spent quality

time with them myself I thought how difficult could it

be. Still, as I walked from Vivekananda College towards

AIKYA it unnerved me.

I wondered "How should I react?", "How should I

behave?", How do I interact with them?", "How do I

reach out to them?". With all these questions swirling

in my head I pushed open the creaky old black gate of

the school and entered. Lost in my doubts I was caught

by surprise when a bunch of 7 kids greeted me "Hello

Akka!" I stood there for a moment unable to

comprehend my next move so i simply smiled and

waved out to them (In my head I did a face palm).

Before I start giving you details about the daily routineof this school I'll take this opportunity to tell you a little

about AIKYA and the students there. AIKYA is a non-

profit organization run by Ms. Parvathy Viswanath

which promotes the interest and welfare of children

with autism, ADHD, Down syndrome and specific

learning disability.

Yes, there's a lot of fight involved in training these kids

as they display short attention span, impaired social

interaction, hyperactive and stereotyped behavior but

no, it doesn't pain us and we don't sympathize with

them because they aren't to be pitied upon. Believe m

when i say this that what one does as a volunteer or ateacher is nothing compared to the impact these kids

have on your life. In fact it gives us great joy to see tha

whatever hard work we put in has made a small

difference. "The outcome is always greater than

the Expectation."

As a volunteer I work there for 2 hours and help teach

them math and English. We even have life skill session

like money counting, trip to grocery stores, sports,

dance, cutting vegetables, making tea, greeting cards

and so on. Just two weeks old I have mainly observedall of them and have realized that they are more than

willing to learn. They have no inhibitions and are as

naughty as normal kids (even more at times).

For instance, they promise to do their homework but

don't and when asked they give an apologetic innocen

smile that melts your heart right out. They are

meticulous which I noticed in the way they keep a

careful tab on their pencils, erasers, lunch boxes etc.

They are particular and return the chairs, tables, ball,

and notebooks in their rightful place.

They are angels.

My Experience in Aikyaby Megha Rao


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Jagrithi

AIKYA aims to Improve and enhance functional capabilities of persons with special

needs like Autism, ADHD, DS and other Learning Disorders. . Early Intervention Programs for Children with delayed development (0-3

Years)

School for children with ADHD, Autism, DS, Learning Disabilities and Slowlearners

Therapy services Vocational training Training in sports, music, dance, yoga, instrumental music Training in computers Recreation Centre with indoor sports and GYM Work Centre for adults Training and counseling for parents of children with special needs Short term training courses for parents and volunteers

-----------------------------

Do you want to volunteer with AIKYA?

Please call 9444960643 or mail [email protected]

Where are we located?

2/9, Karpagambal Nagar Main Road,

Luz, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 ; Mobile: 9444960643

Support us : Volunteer / Donate / adopt a project / adopt a child

Visit our Website:www.aikya.org

Please Donate:http://www.aikya.org/payment.asp

About AIKYA

March 21st

is celebrated as

World Down syndrome Day

Know about Down Syndrome:

Down syndrome occurs when

an individual has a full or partial

extra copy of chromosome

21.There are three types of

Down syndrome: trisomy 21,

translocation and mosaic

Down syndrome is the most

commonly occurring

chromosomal condition and

occurs in people of all races andeconomic levels. People with

Down syndrome attend school,

work,participate in decisions

that affect them, and contribute

to society in many wonderful

ways.

All people with Down syndrome

experience cognitive delays, but

the effect is usually mild to

moderate and is not indicative

of the many strengths and

talents that each individual

possesses.

Quality educational programs,

a stimulating home

environment, good health care,

and positive support from

family, friends and the

community enable people with

Down syndrome to develop

their full potential and lead

fulfilling lives.
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AIKYA Newsletter - February