Electronic teaching aids for disabled children

Balajothi Centre for the Disabled – Karnataka, India

Project Report # 21529 – Electronic Teaching Aids for disabled children

Report due date : June 7, 2017

I feel the best way to learn for a disabled child is through use of electronic learning aids.  Not many intellectually challenged children can hope to study academics, go to universities and get big degrees.  For most of these children to merely learn writing their names, their parents names and contact details is a herculean task. But it does not mean that they should not make an attempt.  All I’m saying is forcing a child with special needs into doing something which does not come naturally to him amounts to cruelty and should be avoided.  Having said this I would like to qualify my statement by saying that the child should learn some activity to keep him active and improving.  Perhaps a bit of gardening, or potting plants, or spending time with a pet animal or bird.  In other words any activity which actively engages the interest of a special child would be the best form of education.

Music tops the list of interests of any disabled child and is fairly easy to learn.  I am not saying learning music is easy, far from it.  But watch a special child playing on the key board and you will know what I am talking about.  The child is not capable of learning the notes in the conventional sense but rather creates his own music.  It could be a cacophony of sounds or at times even jarring but look at the child and revel in the joy he is deriving which speaks volumes on learning through learning aids.

We at Balajothi are adept at diagnosing and developing the hidden talents of a special child. We have also learnt that using the key board is one of the best activities to keep him occupied.  Every child at our centre is now good at playing an electronic key board, and one child in particular, Rahul, has gone one step ahead and has developed a great interest in working with an I-pad.  He is a 100 % disabled child but is a prodigy when it comes to using the electronic learning aids.  He is totally at home when playing the key board or working on the computer or downloading music and games on the I-pad.  He is non-verbal, autistic, intellectually challenged and has multiple disabilities.  Seeing his ability with the electronic aids all the other children at Balajothi have started following him in the music class, creating so much sound (of music) that a visitor cannot but shed a drop of tear at the enthusiasm and interest developed by these children.  Balajothi has always been at the forefront in developing such helpful active methods for the overall development of our special children.

You, dear donor, have donated generously $ 182.00 towards this project todate.  Balajothi has been able to purchase 12 nos. electronic key boards and 2 nos. I-pads.  These have been invaluable in helping our special children to develop themselves in the field of music.  Thank you dear donor for your generosity !!  We hope to add, shortly, electronic slates and desktops to enable the children to move forward in this area. 

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• pix for Balajothi's project report # 21529 (DOC)