C-3, Mahalakshmi apartment,, 1, Sundararajan Street, Abhiramapuram Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Sahay is an initiative spearheaded by Mrs. Lalitha Sridhar to facilitate child development & promote growth in young children through Early Intervention programme. It is a process of identifying and assessing development delays in young children (newborn to 7 years) and providing intervention services to them. This maximises the percentage of children getting included in mainstream society and minimises the children moving into the disability spectrum. It also encompasses the education of these children and supports their parents. Mrs Lalitha Sridhar has over 30 years of experience in the field of special needs. She is a developmental therapist, educator, and counsellor. She has worked across the age group of children in India and abroad. Sahay team comprises of experienced development therapists, educators, and counsellors. Core programme of Sahay: • Early identification of developmental delay through individual consultations and through screening programmes in primary schools using standard tools and providing intervention services. Early Intervention is the pathway to Inclusion. • Training programmes ( Saturday with Sahay) for parent empowerment and value-added training programmes for professionals. • Facilitate inclusion through regular school teacher-training programme on child development and a basic understanding of various disabilities. This will help them identify and understand the challenges faced by children with various disability and adopt appropriate strategies to enhance their development and learning. • Provide consultancy to start intervention centres anywhere in India. It could be for setting up of Early Intervention centres / Resource centres in regular schools / Special schools / Vocational centres for children with special needs. • Associate with partners who would be interested in the area of child development. Funds sourced from them will be effectively used in setting up of Early Intervention centres in as many locations as possible in the interior Tamilnadu. This will make EI services available for children from economically weaker section; providing financial support to conduct screening camps in schools free of cost; to conduct training programmes for parent empowerment.
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What is Early Intervention?
Early intervention (EI) is
How do I know that my child need these services?
Though children develop at their own pace, certain milestones like crawling, sitting, walking, saying first words (speech), happen around the same age. If you suspect a delay in these developments or if you notice your child is not developing significant skills around the same age as his peers, do reach out to professionals for help.
There may not always be a problem. If there is a problem, EI services are available to help your child who has trouble reaching these milestones or developing specific skills and to guide you through.
Who are the children eligible for these EI services?
Normally, children with development delay, motor delay, cognitive delay, Autism are diagnosed by their pediatrician. These children are referred to the EI services even before they enter the school and get their Individualized Development Plan (IDP) in place. Apart from this, children with Learning Disability(LD) , ADHD, are also eligible for the Individualized Education Plan(IEP).
Early Intervention is a pathway to inclusion.
My UKG going child is struggling in academics in school. Does that mean my child has LD?
No, not really.
It is important to be in tune with how your child is faring in school and to know what challenges the child is experiencing. Have a conversation with the teacher and if you feel your child is struggling more than normal, don't be afraid to seek help.
If help is sought early, the problem will be resolved even with certain modifications in the home environment and some intervention strategies provided by the school.
What is early screening and assessment?
Early screening gives an overview of the child's performance, their strengths and weaknesses, their learning skills, cognitive abilities and their social skills.
Assessments provide a valuable insight on the child's lag if any and it is important to view them realistically to move forward.
Does that mean that, every child identified and going through the screening process will have learning disability?
Not necessarily, but many do.
The special education team will develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) considering the child's need, guide the child through the kind of therapies / interventions that is required in order to become successful.
Are there any pre - requisites to register for parent training programme?
No. Parents and care givers of typically growing children, parents of children with development delay or disability, counselors or anyone interested in understanding child development and deviances can register for this training programme.
What is the purpose of attending parent training programme?
The parent training programs
Will the training program benefit regular primary teachers?
Yes, ofcourse!
Apart from understanding normal child development the regular primary teachers should have a basic understanding of various conditions like ADHD, LD, Autism and other disabilities.
This will help them identify such children, understand their learning requirements and learning styles and use different teaching methodologies to motivate the children to learn, guide parents to seek professional help thereby promoting inclusive education.
