Number of Students Reached in 2022-2023

We believe that education encompasses much more than mere literacy and must equip the child to cope with life. With an emphasis on holistic development of each child, we prepare children with and without disabilities, for mainstream education through school readiness programs; special education inputs based on individualized education programs along with appropriate need based therapies are provided to tap the fullest learning potential and improve the quality of life of all children, irrespective of the severity and extent of disability.

Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE)

The Centre For Inclusive Education caters to the educational needs of close to 150 children with and without disabilities. This core service supported by Azim Premji Foundation is run by a team of trained, committed, professionals including special educators, general educators, Montessori trained teachers, therapists, yoga and sports teachers. Each student is assessed using standardized assessment tools, and Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are developed based on individual goals. All students have access to need based therapeutic services like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and to Yoga and sports activities. Multi-sensory and low cost teaching learning materials are designed for more effective teaching and learning experiences. The CIE is divided into different units based on the functional levels and age group of the students.

Playgroup

The reverse inclusive Playgroup caters to children with and without disabilities in the 3-6 years age group where they are taught preschool skills and concepts and has been extended to Lower and Upper KG sections. This is supported with programs for sensitization of mainstream schools.

Special Teaching Unit (STU)

The Special Teaching Unit has children with high support needs in the 3-8 years age group. The emphasis is on intensive sensory stimulation and awareness of environment, positioning and posture, therapies and optimizing cognitive development, so as to improve the quality of life of the child and caregivers.

Leisure Learning Unit (LLU)

The Leisure Learning Unit is for children with high support needs from 9-18 years of age. Efforts are made to make the child as aware and responsive to the environment and stimuli, and to have a meaningful engagement in leisure time activities. Alongside positioning, posture and therapies the objective is to improve the quality of life of the students and caregivers.

Functional Academic (FA)

Functional Academic Unit caters to children in the 9-18 years age group with cognitive skills and abilities, and they are provided with education opportunities along with appropriate therapies and cocurricular activities, to learn age-appropriate mainstream academic curriculum that could be modified and adapted to their needs.

Functional Unit (FA)

Functional Unit is for students in the 9-18 years with better physical abilities including hand functions, where along with functional literacy, and appropriate therapies, cocurricular activities, sports and yoga sessions, they are given pre vocational skill training opportunities in paper craft, gardening and catering related activities.

Autism spectrum disorder/Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ASD/ADHD)

The ASD/ADHD Unit offers school readiness training and therapies to 2-6 year old children with Autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) that includes improving sitting tolerance and communication skills as well as providing appropriate sensory stimulation and integration. The unit also offers individualized need based support to older children.

Additionally, home visits are regularly made to meet families of children with high support needs and understand and advise them on appropriate strategies and interventions with their children. Community sensitization programs are also held from time to time in different locations to orient and sensitise them towards inclusion of children with disabilities. Efforts are also made to reconnect with alumni and build a cadre of self advocates.

Vocational Training

A Vocational Training Unit was set up for students with developmental disabilities, past the age of 18 years with a view to teaching them paper craft work – bag making, folding, printing, screen prining - costume jewellery, beading, painting cards and diyas gardening and nursery skills, computer training in a sheltered workshop like setting. The students receive a share of the proceeds from the sale of these items.

For further information, contact - Jerina Chinghoihvung on +91 9619582305 or email at shishusarothi@gmail.com

Information and Communication Technology Laboratory (ICT Lab)

An Information and Communication Technology Laboratory (ICT Lab) aims at imparting comprehensive computer aided training programmes for all the children, to make them proficient in basic applications and to build their ICT skills. Adaptive facilities using special software are also provided to students according to their individual needs. Computer training is also offered as a vocational skill to interested older students with disabilities.

For further information, contact - Parag Baruah on +91 97062 70304 or email at shishusarothi@gmail.com

Training

The Training Department grew from a response to the urgent need for creating a cadre of trained professionals to work in the area of special and inclusive education through the conduct of formal recognized Diploma courses and customized trainings and workshops. Shishu Sarothi is an approved Training Institutions of the Rehabilitation Council of India to run training programs in special education. It has also been a Study Centre for disability specific training programs in distance mode of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) conducting distance mode course such as the Foundation Course, B.Ed (SE) and PGPD courses and Parent Training programs for hundreds of candidates from across NE India. It is currently running the Diploma in Sp.Ed for Multiple Disability course and the recently launched Community Based Inclusive Education course too.

For further information, contact Diba Nahin on + 91 9435148072 or email at shishusarothi@gmail.com

Promoting Inclusive Education

Shishu Sarothi was an active member of the collaborative RAISE – NE project to promote and improve the quality of inclusive education in SSA schools in NE India and led the advocacy for the project in 17 schools in Kamrup Metro and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam. As a follow up of this initiative, Shishu Sarothi is now working through two parallel projects, supported by Light for the World International and Wipro Foundation, with a total of 21 schools in these 2 districts to build capacities of schoolteachers to design lesson plans using Universal Design of Learning strategies and sensitise communities in Karbi Anglong to improve the quality of inclusive education in their schools.

For further information, contact – Ms. Mamta Ghosh on +91 9707210101 or Lisa Beypi on + 91 8474090087 or email at shishusarothi@gmail.com

Indus Towers Scholarship Program

This program was conceived with a view to bridging the alarming gap in the echelons of higher education among persons with disability. Supported by Indus Towers (formerly Bharti Infratel) Limited, this program provides scholarships to students with disabilities to pursue their dreams of higher education. In the 1 st phase 198 students from NE India received scholarships. The 2 nd phase proposes to reach 600 students with disabilities from NE India and beyond by 2025, through a more transparent online process via a mini website (www.ssscholarship.org) and with active involvement of partner organisations in the 8 states of NE India to mentor and monitor the scholars progress.

For further information, contact – Ms. Seema Jangid on +91 8811040869 or email at shishusarothi@gmail.com

English Access Micro-scholarship Program

This is an unique program to teach English language skills to an inclusive cohort of young adolescents from difficult and disadvantaged backgrounds in innovative hands-on ways over fun and activity filled weekend sessions. Supported by the US Consulate Kolkata and American Centre, this project helped to train 55 young people in the 1 st batch at Shishu Sarothi in Guwahati and at Shillong between 2018 and 2021. The program for the 2 nd batch of students has been inaugurated and will cover 50 students by 2024.

SPARSH program cum Deafblind Regional Centre (DbRC)

This program implemented by Shishu Sarothi and supported by Sense International India has been upgraded to a regional centre for deafblindness in the North East. The SPARSH program for the Deafblind and Multi-Sensory Impaired (MSI) persons operates with a life span approach for screening, detection, interventions in orientation and mobility, medical and nutritional support, educational inputs and enabling access to assistive devices, government schemes and programs, and currently covers around 60 persons with Deaf-Blindness and MSI from 2 districts of Assam. SPARSH also helps to build networks among parents and create self-advocatto take their cause further. The major role of DbRC is to create awareness about deafblindness among various stake holders in the northeast region through a network of local civil society and non govt organisation through trainings, awareness and sensitization programs and enable them to screen, identify, assess, plan and execute interventional strategies for children and adults with deafblindness and MSI in the region.

For further information, contact – Jerina Chinghoihvung on +91 9619582305 or email at sparsh.shishusarothi@gmail.com