Sakshum ... cultivating dreams

Child development and Early intervention
Sunday, September 26, 2010

Most of the parents have concerns about their child development. Many of them often visit to paediatricians for regular physical and well being check-ups. In our countries due to the lack of awareness, many a time the development screening either does not complete or remains superficial. Moreover the paediatricians are busier in immunization or vaccination. Many a time they miss the developmental delay or forget to refer to early interventionist or developmental paediatrician for further evaluation.

Here as a parent, you should be aware of child’s development and behavioural growth so that you can share your concerns with the professionals and if there are issues then you can intervene earliest.

DEVELOPMENT

All children go through developmental “stages” in various developmental areas like motor, fine motor, cognition, speech and language etc – typical and predictable changes in the areas.

The next stage of development depends on the previous stage and hence they are interrelated.

Every child develops on his own pace.

DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING

• The checklist which guides the child development with respect to normal population. Experts have developed a list of developmental milestones in all development areas. Most of the time, it is conducted by psychologist, early interventionist or a developmental paediatrician.
• Screening includes interactive session between parents and specialist. This may include a checklist or questionnaire about the family, prenatal, natal or antenatal history. The developmental history includes all developmental areas.
• According to evaluations and results, recommendations are made for further services.

IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING

To determine the healthy growth of the child and to monitor the child development.

To detect the developmental issues at earliest and intervene early.

CONTACT

Child’s paediatrician or EARLY INTERVENTIONIST or child psychologist can provide developmental screening.

Posted byNeeti at 11:09 AM 0 comments    

Labels: autism, child development, child disability, child education, early intervention, education, knowledge sharing, parenting tips, red flag sign, screening

Vowels in Speech therapy
Thursday, August 26, 2010

For the children who are learning to speak, it is difficult for them to pronounce the vowels and consonants combination in initial stages. It is advisable to start with lax or open vowel sounds than the stressed vowels. Lax vowels mean which are open and have short sound like /a/ than /o/.

Stressed vowels are difficult because they need more planning, coordination and lingual strength. Dipthongs are further difficult as they require 2 oro motor movements than one, thus requiring further motor planning.

In order to help children to pronounce vowels more accurately some visual or tactile (physical) cues should be provided.

Posted byNeeti at 11:05 PM 0 comments    

Labels: autism, early intervention, information sharing, knowledge sharing, parenting tips, sensory integration, speech therapy, tips

Friendship for children with Autism
Thursday, August 5, 2010

Most of the parents of the children with Autism desperately search for friends for their children. They feel that the things would have been better if their children could have friends. But, there are no shortcuts or different methods of having and keeping friends. What matter are the social skills or socialization.

There are 2 types of skills for teaching socialization.

1. Instrumental skills
2. Relationship skills

Posted byNeeti at 10:44 PM 1 comments    

Labels: autism, child disability, early intervention, knowledge sharing, parenting tips, play, relationship

Speech sound production
Thursday, July 29, 2010

http://www.talkingchild.com/speechchart.aspx

Posted byNeeti at 10:53 PM 0 comments    

Labels: child disability, children, early intervention, information sharing, knowledge sharing, parenting tips, speech therapy, tips

Brain Gym
Sunday, June 27, 2010

Posted byNeeti at 11:25 PM 0 comments    

Labels: ADHD, autism, awareness, brain gym, early intervention, information sharing, knowledge sharing, movement, sensory integration

Sensory awareness month
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

From the Vedic science to the modern science, Senses are given utter importance for human development. For overall development senses play an important role. We can not even think our life if we don’t have or have a disturb sense.

Senses don’t work alone. Sense organs sense the sensation or stimuli and brain turns the sensation to perception. Perception is a form of learning. Most of us have near to normal functioning of all senses in coordination. But, sometime because of known and unknown reason the process of sensory process get affected which may further leads to problems in routine life. If problem is minor and mild it can be compensated but if processing is effected on larger scale may affect our functional and occupational life.

Children with ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, speech disorder, brain injured, Down’s syndrome, dyslexia and other learning disability and neurological disorders do have mild to severe degree of sensory problems. However sometime children with normal development do have sensory issues.

Let’s make Sensory awareness month a campaign to arise awareness about sensory processing disorder among parents, teachers, community and professionals. This will not only help in creating awareness but also make us to understand our children behaviour in better fashion rather than thinking the behaviour as odd.

Sensory integration therapy looks like organised and structured play which has an objective or goal. SI activities provide the right challenge (not too difficult and not too easy) so that the child is motivated to achieve the goal.

Posted byNeeti at 4:18 PM 1 comments    

Labels: ADHD, autism, awareness, children, early intervention, knowledge sharing, sensory integration

Project report "Eye Care, I Care" at Vijaya Bharthi High School
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Posted byNeeti at 10:54 PM 3 comments    

Labels: awareness, children, education, eye care I care, knowledge sharing

Primitive reflexes and their inhibition with therapy
Sunday, September 20, 2009

Posted byNeeti at 6:29 PM 2 comments    

Labels: autism, awareness, disability, knowledge sharing, Learning disability, Therapy

Hand Dominance... its relevance
Friday, August 28, 2009

Handedness is an attribute of humans defined by their unequal distribution of fine motor skill between the left and right hands. Some are left handed and some are right handed. However, there are 2 more types of handedness seen, Cross dominance and Ambidextrous. Cross dominance means the child uses one hand for one particular activity and other hand for other specific activity. Ambidextrous is a unique quality that a child can perform a particular skill with both the hands with equal quality. Crossed dominance and ambidextrous is not a problem every time until it affects the function.

Handedness is comprised of hardware (musculoskeletal, strength) and software (neurological), interacting to produce an efficient action. Handedness depends on neurological inhibiting of the recessive hand, so that the dominant hand can develop the precise, corrective, rapid movement without any competition from the non-dominant hand. Generally hand dominance is established at the age of 3 to 4 yrs but as late as 7 yrs. It is important to develop the hand dominance. However most of the child does develop hand dominance spontaneously at age but sometimes children with developmental delay and autism may have problem with it. Parents often have concerns that their children can write from both the hands but not sure.

To develop hand dominance it is important to know the preferred hand of child. Parents and teachers can observe the child in various functional activities. Observe child closely for preference of hand, control, strength and stability. Observe the child in unconscious and sudden or alone without interfering or biasing. It gives a better idea than intentional observation which sometimes becomes biased. Sometimes poor shoulder stability leads the child to keep on shifting the hand which gives a wrong expression of poor hand dominance.

Many activities like horizontal and vertical eight can help in finding the midline orientation and laterality. Bilateral hand activities like scissoring, hammering, tearing the paper, screwing, unliding the bottles, pick up games, lifting heavy objects, push ups and pull ups can be done. Observe the child preference and effort during movements. Once if it gives the idea of hand preferences stimulate that side with graded finger and shoulder exercise.

Posted byNeeti at 10:51 PM 0 comments    

Labels: autism, awareness, disability, knowledge sharing, parenting tips

Fine Motor Control
Thursday, August 13, 2009

Posted byNeeti at 11:37 PM 0 comments    

Labels: autism, awareness, finemotor control, knowledge sharing

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Thursday, November 27, 2008

As per the definition social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur (entrepreneur in French means “one who takes into hands”) is one who recognizes the social need and bring the change. Social entrepreneurs correctly defined by French economist Jean- Baptiste “ who shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield”. They act as a catalyst and hasten the social progress. Thus, they are the change maker or change agents or social innovators, who solve the social problems.

In last 3 decades the social sector has developed a lot and had attracted a lot of dedicated and committed people who share a single vision of social development. The language of social entrepreneurship may be new, but the phenomenon is not new.

Social entrepreneurship is not charity. It is not something like feeding with but it means empowering or preparing the people to feed them. Social entrepreneurs encourage, educate, train and empower the beneficiaries to develop skills and direct them to solve their problems. They consider the social problems as challenges and opportunities for social uplifting.

It is not necessary that all social entrepreneurs or organisation have no profit objectives rather they generate the income along with social change and use the profit for community building or for further activities. It is not just fund raising rather it is fund development.

For e.g Md Yunus, a noble prize winner, from Bangladesh who founded Grameen Bank, innovated the concept of micro financing for poor and beggars. The Grameen bank is For profit organisation but its objectives are to develop the rural and poor community also helping the poor to avail finances for their own development.

Social entrepreneurs identify the needs and problems of society or community, innovate the sustainable solution, accept the problems as opportunity and bring the change in the society. The solution or model is sustainable, cost effective and replicable.

Flow chart of entrepreneurship

Recognition of Social needs and social assets and resources

Innovative, sustainable and productive ideas

Business model and operating strategy

Use of opportunity

Social outcome and impact

Characteristics of Social Entrepreneurs

Creative and innovative

Pursuance

Leadership

Focus

Dedication and committed

Passionate

Value of long term consideration over short term

Strong ethical and human values

Wiliness to Self correct

Benefits of social entrepreneurship

¥ SE generates the social economy by working with the disadvantaged, poor and underprivileged group. Empowering them with training and providing opportunities to them improves the overall capital generation of a society.

¥ Social entrepreneurs innovates a solution which is cost effective and which can address a larger group. Hence, it reduces the Govt efforts and capital. Sometime the creative idea even accepted by Govt or Authority as a law or policy.

¥ Since, social entrepreneurship is a business with a triple bottom of social change; it provides employment to people in this sector.

¥ Overall the objective of social entrepreneurship is to develop community so, it hasten the development of a sustainable and healthy community

Difference between the business entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship

The business and social entrepreneurs are not opposite or against to each other the difference exists in 3 words, the vision, objectives and triple bottom line. For a business entrepreneur the vision is profit generation, objective is financial development and bottom line is benefits and business networking. In case of, social entrepreneur the vision is community development, objective is development of resources and bottom line is quality of life of people or benefits of people. For business the financial returns matter where as for social entrepreneurs it is social return that matter.

Posted byNeeti at 10:23 PM 2 comments    

Labels: knowledge sharing

International Medical Corps
Saturday, September 20, 2008

This organization, International Medical Corps, has the ability to save the lives of malnourished children around the world and we just received some very exciting news. We have been nominated to be one of the Top 25 in American Express' Projects, "Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children." Our project was chosen out of 1,190 projects and is now eligible to receive up to $1.5 million to help feed hungry children. Because your blog, Sakshum...cultivating dreams, has a loyal following, I thought this would be an issue you would want to share with your readers. I've put together this microsite explaining everything.

http://internationalmedicalcorps.smnr.us/

Posted byVivek kumar at 11:49 AM 1 comments    

Labels: awareness, knowledge sharing

BEING VOLUNTEER
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Volunteering literally means, involving people willingly, working without any compensation to achieve a cause. It looks a simple job to be a volunteer but, in reality it is not so. Volunteer does not mean working whatever is asked to you. It needs dedication, understanding and being sensitive to the cause. Volunteering is all about giving – intellectually, physically and emotionally. Volunteering is not to make the seeker dependent on others to spoon feed but it is meant for giving directions and showing the right pathway.

Now a day it is very commonly heard about people doing volunteering services. There are many ways of doing volunteering services including donation for a cause, physical help, helping via your skills like teaching guitar and art and crafts things, giving time and other resources like clothes, books etc. Most of the people feel dissatisfied after donating money as they are not sure where and how their money is being used. But, for the people who are busy and do not have time to give their physical support, for them this is a better option to help. However, the best way of volunteering is serving that involves your interest areas and skills.

Why to be a volunteer??? Most of the people do have reasons for volunteering the services. Reasons vary from internal satisfaction, utilizing the leisure time for a cause, social appreciation or some times even for certificates. Few among of us feel since, we are social animal and live in society; we do share a responsibility towards betterment of community. However, even though there are many reasons behind it but, it demands for other things also.

The feelings during volunteering do contribute a lot to the inner-self. Work done with a noble cause always gets an appreciation. During volunteering, a person tends to learn a lot of things. He learns patience, humanity, self realisation, content, inspiration, task management empathy and acceptance. It is rightly said, no one on this earth is perfect. It is every one’s responsibility to do something for the betterment of society to bring it close to perfect.

There are many things that contribute for the successes of volunteer-ship. The success depends on the motive behind the volunteering. Peer pressure, social appreciation and certificates are the reasons which don’t need commitment as volunteer for a longer period of time. So, there are more chances that the volunteers may not turn up for the next activity.

As earlier stated it is not a simple job. As a person cannot do all types of job, similarly he can’t be good in all different kind of volunteer opportunities. So, before adopting a project for volunteer-ship a person should know about the target population, culture and language of population, kind of volunteering services, sensitivity and time management. The most important is being empathetic. For a day volunteering is different from long term volunteering. Sometimes people get associated with a single kind of volunteer-ship depending on their personal experience or interest, like getting associated with blind schools or orphanages. It is always advisable for the volunteers to be focused and work in a single area so that they can learn a lot for that particular issue and can perform better.

Many a time volunteers become frustrated because of less knowledge about the issue, dedication, limited choices, peer pressure, or expectation of fun. So, the volunteers should prepare themselves prior about the issue and outcome of the services. Later he should sit and assess his volunteering skills and learn from them. He can improve by talking to the professional, acquainting themselves for the knowledge from various resources like internet, professionals and the target population.

Perfect volunteer can bring a difference.

Posted byNeeti at 10:45 PM 2 comments    

Labels: knowledge sharing

MID DAY MEAL
Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sensex is waving up and down, touching the untouched heights; Economists are showing progress in GDP and Nation economy. But for an average man or people BPL (below poverty line), these terms do not have much significance. For them the important is, meals thrice a day, children getting education in reputed schools, clothes to wear and they dream of a better life for their children. However no matter how much Nation’s economy raise still, unfortunately, the people below poverty line and middle class never grows. As said the future of any country is seen in its children. The latest Human Development report says that 47% children are underweight. Over 34% of population live on less than 40 Rs a day. In this condition for the children mid day meal (MDM) is necessity and could prove fruitful for healthier children. But unfortunately either because of political reasons or physical reasons MDM has always some loopholes. Many a times the plan had been changed from providing the full lunch to packed lunch to enhance and monitor the quality. But still people prefer to have hot meal than packed things. So few people come with the magic remedy for preventing the corruption to enter in MDM. The School which were providing the mid day meal made a parent group which would monitor the quality of food. With whatever funds come are spent under supervision of the parents group. The child is even asked to bring his own plate from the home, washes it after the lunch, takes it away and brings it next day. In this way all the children are getting proper nutritious food, just in 5 Rs per child. This ensures the cleanliness and hygiene.

The involvement of the mothers in MDM has had many positive spins offs. Their presence in the school premises and constant and regular monitoring by the state authorities ensure that teachers don’t absent themselves from duty and regular classes are run.

Not only this the INDUS programme run by the Govt for the elimination of the child labour has found that involvement of mothers in MDM has brought the children more faster to the schools. In some areas the NGO’s have joined the Govt hands in running special schools for rehabilitating these children and helps them to include in mainstreaming. The mothers involved in the MDM are additionally given the stipend monthly that supports the family also. Most important is that different religion, caste and culture children sit and eat together breaking all-cultural and caste barrier.

Dr Neeti Sharma

Resources : News Papers articles

Posted byNeeti at 12:13 PM 0 comments    

Labels: knowledge sharing

1st WORLD’s AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Today Sakshum (www.sakshum.com) took an initiative to spread awareness about Autism. We printed 1000 pamphlets and distributed them along with today's morning newspaper.

Following are contents for those who missed the information:

If your child is showing any signs like

Ø Poor eye contact.

Ø Lack of social interaction (like playing alone, not interacting to to others, showing no signs of recognising the parents or relatives)

Ø Poor/delay in speech and communication development (poor babbling, not able to speak in sentences, poor non-verbal communication, poor use of gestures)

Ø Behaviour problem (stubborn, head banging, hitting, screaming)

Ø Sensory issues (restlessness, anxiety, avoid hugging and touching, poor tolerance to light, high pitch volume)

Ø Poor gross/fine movements (repetitive falls, writing problems like poor handwriting)

Ø Hyperactivity, looks like ill behaved and attention deficient.

Ø Delayed in learning or associated with mental retardation to some.

Ø Poor adjustment in school, with friends, family members

Ø Physically the child develops normally but lags behind in communication and social skills, child look like aloof and isolated or involved in self only

It is not temperament of child nor will this be treated by itself. This is AUTISM.

Typically, about 20 in a population of 10,000 people will be autistic or have autistic symptoms. 80% of those affected by autism are boys. Autism is found throughout the world, in families of all economic, social, and racial backgrounds.

It can happen at birth, or a child may have a period of normal development followed by a deterioration of verbal and social skills around 1 1/2-2 1/2 years.

If any of the above signs are noticed in your or neighbour’s children then contact to your nearest Early interventionist, Child Psychologist, Special Educator or Paediatrician.

Early detection and diagnosis may yield better results. Together we can make their life better

Need to know more about autism/ or wants to share ideas and experience call us on 09246215270

Or visit to our site

www.sakshum.com

or join us on forum

http://sakshum.informe.com/

Posted byNeeti at 12:46 PM 0 comments    

Labels: autism, awareness, celebrations, knowledge sharing

Easy to Cope
Saturday, December 22, 2007

Disability not only affect the person who is inflicted rather it also disturbs others like parents and family members equally or more. As treatment is ongoing process so sometimes parents get frustrated. Thus getting professional counselling is one of the most important aspects because parents are pivotal in the management of their child. The main objectives of counselling is to properly explain the child's condition and help the parents to accept it, guide them regarding proper treatment, address their concerns about the child, try to alleviate the immense psychosocial stress that they face, remove the feelings of guilt and blame and help build positive attitudes. Both the parents, and sometimes the grandparents too need to be counselled together. It channelize the parents' thought process towards positive goals.

SUGGESTIONS FOR COPING
No matter, how much our country is progressive still in disability field we are back, poor awareness of the disability and its denial may aggravate the problem.As a family it becomes its duty to take care of their child no matter how the child is. So there are few tips that might help them to cope up better to the situation.

1. Educate yourself about your child conditions from various resources available. It not only helps you to know about the problem rather it also helps you to get the right diagnosis on right time. It also prevents you from misleading.
2. Accept the child as s/he is. Don’t just concentrate on what the child cannot do rather try to find what the child can do. This provides you more positive outlook.
3. Be patient. Discuss your concerns with your relatives, spouse, friends and professionals. This helps you in coping with your own fears and anxieties, also helps in developing good relations with others.
4. Spread awareness about the disability, what your child has. It helps in uplifting yourself.
5. Join a ‘self help group’ or ‘ support group’ which can give you the right direction by sharing their experience and guide you. If you could not get any group try to find a family or relatives with the help of professional you even can help each other.
6. Make time for yourself and your interests. This seems hard or near to impossible for most of the parents but remember that we can take care of others if we are happy. So indulge yourself occasionally and time to yourself.
7. Celebrate and enjoy your child’s every success no matter even if it is small one. This encourages the child.
8. Consider your child as normal as possible, give proper attention but don’t pamper him. Like normal child the child with special needs does learn, may be slower.
9. Be brave and remember no efforts go into vain.
10. Meet other parents who are having similar problem and share your efforts and concerns. Don’t hesitate.
11. Be advocate for your child.
12. Try to update your knowledge about the benefits and schemes provided by the Government.

Posted byNeeti at 12:28 AM 1 comments    

Labels: disability, knowledge sharing

EFFECTS OF DISABILITY ON FAMILY

Disability is defined as the inability of a person to perform a task due to loss of a body part or muscle power. Disability can be of various degrees depending on the area and the extent of injury. Depending on the disability it affects the individual and its family. It affects more if the disability occurs in earlier stage of the life. If a child born with the disability, both the child as well as the family suffers equally or sometimes the family suffer more.

The time it is decided that the child is to born, the parents and family starts dreaming about the child’s future. So the time family comes to know about the disability, their dreams shatter down. This is the phase of shock and they deny accepting the situation. Slowly they start coming out of shock and one more, harrowing process of diagnosis, mis believes, visits to professionals, and search of right treatment make parents more depressing. Some parents lose their hope during this phase; some will get the right path whereas some will loss in between.
Some families suffering increase more when they don’t find a proper psychological as well as professional support. Families are left more wondering about the prognosis of their child disability and what future holds for them. Delayed or wrong diagnosis may even sometimes complicate the situation. Sometimes parents are blamed for disability or parents blame their karma/kismat or other religious belief.

Bringing and looking after a disabled child is not an easy job hence it affects the normal functioning of the family life.
Financial issues affect the disability and vice versa. It takes lots of money and time to get proper diagnosis and treatment by number of professionals. Moreover to take care a special need child one of the parents has to drop the job or alter the hours of employment to provide the care for the child. So a single parent income imposes greater financial strain on the family for providing the professional care and additional to equipments. Moreover the regular and longterm professional help and special school put additional burden on family financial status
Without proper information about the child’s condition the parents feel that they are lost or being thrown on other planet. Strained or limited finances, time, and sense of inferiority limit the parent’s social activities. Most of the time mother is the one who give up the job and stay with the child. She blames herself or is blamed by the family members. If husband or family members are not supportive she feels isolated, more depressed and exhausted. The caregiver has to be committed to child 24x7, leads to burnout. Parents become more anxious of their children future. What will happen to their child after them remains a haunting question to them. Giving answers to the relatives and neighbors are more frustrating. The child is more demanding for the parent’s time hence the couple cannot be able to spend their leisure time together. Moreover, as the child grows it puts more demands and that make parents more worried. The child’s prolonged illness or dependency exhaust the parents both mentally and physically. Most of the families loose their patience and sometimes may lead to separation and divorce. The pressure on the family members is immense and hence sometime leads to breakdown.

Lack of time, interest and depression make the parents more isolated and their socialization becomes poor. Sometimes the child throws temper tantrum and behavior problems, which can create an embarrassing situation. Poor acceptance of the child may aggravate the problem. Services are poor or hard to afford by every class of people. Poor and delayed diagnosis is very common which further delays the recovery and leads to complications.

Sometimes if the parents have the other siblings then the child may not get proper time, love and attention because of child with special need
demand more time and care. The child may feel isolated and insecure. This creates anger, anxiety and tension among the siblings. However most of the time situation is managed but sometime the sibling may not understand the reason and develops rivalry and feel jealous.
Hence disability not only affects the child with special needs, it affects the family, community and humanity itself.

Posted byNeeti at 11:27 PM 1 comments    

Labels: knowledge sharing