Our vision

Holistic Care & Inclusion

Samvedna’s goal is to have each child with a disability included in mainstream education. Early learning centers have been established for children (3 – 13 years) with disabilities to attend where their access to mainstream education is not immediately possible (due to level of disability or other barriers). The role of the center is to prepare the child for admission into mainstream school and then to facilitate and support their enrolment and follow up their progress once in mainstream school. The early learning center has access and support from special education teachers, speech therapist, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, ear nose and throat surgeon and an orthopedic surgeon. Allied health professionals carry out an assessment of the child’s needs and develop individual learning and care plans, measuring their progress each three months. This progress is shared with the parents and care givers of the children with disabilities.

If it is determined through an assessment that a child needs medical care (e.g. eye test, ear nose and throat screening, assistive device prescription), then plans are made for the child to undertake the scan or corrective surgery and assistance devices are provided where needed to the children. Through consultation with parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, it was decided that despite the families being on very low incomes and living in poverty, the families would take some ownership over the program. The parents and children with disabilities decided they would contribute 20 rupees towards the early learning centre each month. As part of Samvedna, parents and caregivers of children with disabilities are given access to different activities such as counselling, motivational talks and one to one support to address practical barriers they may be facing, involving their input in the types of interventions used in the project.