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| Shristi Special Academy |
| SHRISTI SPECIAL ACADEMY |
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| Shristi was born of a passion for children with special
needs felt by three special educators, Meena Jain, Sharon Watts and Suchita Somashekariah
in Bangalore, India. Individuals with special needs are variously known as the Mentally Challenged, Mentally Handicapped and Intellectually Impaired. Shristi’s founders saw them as the "differently abled" and were determined to give a fuller life to the extent possible to those who had been written off. The Mentally Challenged comprise three percent of the population. However, as intellectual impairment is an invisible handicap, it is generally not recognized and little is known about it. Awareness about their abilities and services to improve their quality of life are inadequate. The divide is even more pronounced in the rural areas. Shristi broke away from the traditional framework and provided a wider range of services from infancy to adulthood doing away with the barriers of having children who have not achieved toilet training, below the age of 5. In addition, Shristi started a Sheltered Workshop for employing persons with Mental Retardation who cannot take open employment for various reasons. Beginning with four children and three special educators at the time of establishment, Shristi sought to be an organization, which was a friend to the Mentally Challenged AND their families. Shristi has grown, in nine years, to one hundred and two children of all ages from infancy to adulthood. For the very intensive programs required, It has forty-six staff including therapists, instructors and support staff. The values underlying Shristi’s programs are: unconditional acceptance and giving, positivism and an unwavering belief that there can be improvement in every mentally challenged individual, no matter how severe the extent of retardation or how long the time required. Facilities and Programs Shristi aims to bring about a change in the attitude towards the Mentally Challenged and the way they were viewed. Hence, programs are designed so that they support the Mentally Challenged and Autistic of different ages. Shristi’s facility is located in Basaveswarnagar in North-West Bangalore where such services are few. In the year 2002, a rural facility was started at Channenahalli village, off Magadi Road, Bangalore, where on 2 acres of land donated by a well wisher, the programs for Autism and ADHD, the Vocational Habilitation Centre, the Respite Care Centre for the profoundly retarded and the Balwadi are functioned. At present, Shristi reaches out to 103 Mentally Challenged and Autistic individuals, of all ages from infancy to adulthood at its two facilities. The Balwadi, "Chiguru" has 15 normal children enrolled at present. All of Shristi’s programs are unique and scientifically designed. They are functioned to provide a continuum of services from infancy to adulthood, all leading to independence and self reliance. This focus guides the programs at all times and so every effort is made to enable the child / individual to be integrated with normal society – whether school or employment. Shristi is among the few institutions which offer a full time Centre Based Early Intervention Program for infants and young children (0 to 5 years) which, by starting early, aim at enabling adaptation of children in normal setups - at school and in society. The program has resulted in 26 children joining mainstream schools in the past 5 years. Shristi is one of the very few organizations which has a program for the profoundly retarded (IQ<20) who are considered untrainable and often chained in institutions due to their aggressive and self injurious behavior. We have 12 children in this program, mostly from the rural areas around our campus, and have enabled improvement in every single individual there, through intensive therapy aimed at teaching them self-care skills, basic communication and domestic skills. At the Vocational Habilitation Centre, 50 Mentally Challenged individuals are taught skills such as Tailoring; Screen Printing; Manufacture of various articles including Paper Products and Candles as also cleaning and Disinfectant agents aimed at enabling economic empowerment. The products which include a range of Jute and cloth products; paper bags, envelopes etc. assorted candles, decorated diyas with wax etc., are sold at Sales at various Corporate Organizations and the income generated used to support the nominal stipend paid to those in the Vocational Production Unit and is thus a major step in enabling economic independence and dignity for them. In 2004, "Chiguru", a Balwadi was started at Channenahalli to provide preschool education and skills to children under five from the villages around the rural campus with the aim of providing them stimulus; to identify developmental delays and provide early intervention services as also to provide inclusive education to normal and developmentally delayed children. The Balwadi has 15 children enrolled, currently. |
Shristi's
programs are child and family centered and scientifically designed, encompassing all
areas of development. They are multi therapeutic and holistic including special
education, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy , family therapy and others
like music, sports, recreation ,horticulture , pet therapy and counseling . As most
(over 50%) of the children are from very poor homes and from the rural
areas, children also get food and medical support. This, coupled with loving care, unconditional acceptance and positivism and a high degree of awareness of each child’s needs and consistent follow up of their progress at home, has resulted in enabling all the children to become more independent and skilled and thus, has given them more dignity and acceptance in their families and society. It is not surprising that all the programs have impacted not only the children, but also their families, having resulted in families who are more functional and empowered. Future Plans
How you can Support Shristi’s Children
Please send check to KARNA Inc. at 5105 N. Primrose Court , Peoria, IL 61615 with a note specifying Shristi and form of support. A Child’s Intervention Program includes…
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