Electronic teaching aids for disabled children

BALAJOTHI CENTRE FOR THE DISABLED

GLOBALGIVING PROGRESS REPORT (21529) DUE ON Dec 19, 2016.

Project title : Electronic teaching aids for disabled children

Pradeep (name changed) is a differently abled boy, 16 years of age, who is intellectually challenged.  He comes from an underprivileged family and is the only son of non-consangnious parents.  His father died when he was still very young and is being cared for by his mother.  His mother works as a maid to earn their livelihood. He is certified medically as 85 % disabled and needs care and support all his life.  His future was a question mark till he joined Balajothi….

Pradeep joined Balajothi Centre for rehabilitation and training five years ago.  His mother’s efforts to educate him did not go well as he was unable to meet the required norms in the normal schools he attended.  Additionally, his experience with his peers only served to add a lot of negativism in his young mind leading to dislike towards education and schooling. After a great deal of counseling his mother agreed to bring him to Balajothi.  Sensing his reluctance to academic learning we introduced him to music. Very quickly he developed an interest and leaning towards electronic aids like I-pad, electronic key board and computer.  He was put to learn on the key board and now he is able to play some popular simple songs like ‘Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are …….’ With the help of numbers printed on the keys.  Efforts are being made to introduce variety and nature of lessons in order to make the sessions more interesting and absorbing.  Pradeep, apart from using the key board is also now showing increased interest in learning to read and write, with help from caregivers.

Having tasted success with the key board in the case of yet another differently abled child Rahul, (who figured in our previous report in October 2016) we at Balajothi are greatly encouraged to get other children involved in this learning process with the use of electronic teaching aids.  Our aim is to ultimately help children to recognize and recapture information using such teaching aids. We strongly believe that this will help to increase awareness of their strengths and possibilities of interaction with other members of society, and also bring a great deal of happiness through acceptance by their family members. 

We at Balajothi are immensely grateful to the Global Giving platform for channelizing help and support from friends such as you, from around the world.  You have been a great source of strength in motivating our efforts in significantly changing lives of the disadvantaged differently abled children in Bangalore. Your contribution has brought immense happiness and a sense of achievement in their young lives.  Thank you for this.

To date we have received an amount of US $ 112/- towards this project and with this amount we have been able to get an I-Pad and 10 key boards.  We need the remaining amount of US $ 1888/- to buy more such teaching aids and with your continuing support we are confident of achieving this in a short time.

Balajothi Centre for the Disabled acts as a catalyst to recognize hidden talents of differently abled children, enabling them to develop and use these talents to grow and lead independent and abundant lives, to the extent possible. Every parent who has entered the gates of Balajothi is now comforted with the thought that there is ‘hope’ for his dear child in this challenging world. Pradeep is  yet another inspiration to special children and a living example of this ‘hope’ !!!

Balajothi Centre for the Disabled