Introduction

For the next 4 months, I will be working as an AIESEC intern at Asadeepam Special School and Rehabilitation Centre in Kochi, Kerala. 'Asadeepam' (pronounced asha-deep-um) means 'ray of hope' in Malayalam, which is what the teachers and staff offer to the students who suffer from various disabilities. The school is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation sponsored by Santhimargam Social Welfare Society. All of the children have varying levels of mental retardation (MR), and some have autism or Down's Syndrome. There is a high level of comorbidity associated with these disorders, and many of the children also have physical disabilities such as blindness, poor motor skills, asthma, cerebral palsy or epilepsy. Most of the students are male, however there are about 6 female students.

The school provides academic training for the children under 20 and vocational training for the adults over 20. Academic training involves learning to read and write in English and Malayalam, counting, basic arithmetic, awareness of money, and some vocational skills such as cutting, pasting and constructing crafts. The school is divided into 4 classes: Pre-Primary, Primary I, Primary II, and Secondary. This division is based both on the child's actual age and mental age (their individual skill level).

The vocational class creates goods that are sold to help support the school, such as medicine envelopes, jewelry, mobile phone covers, pencil holders, household cleaner and wall hangings. The students also learn to maintain the school's garden. The parents of the students discuss with the teacher the best job option for their son, and the teacher works to develop the skills necessary for that type of work.

The school uses excellent teaching methods and behavioural modification programs that have been scientifically proven to be effective for children with special needs. I am very excited to apply the methods I have studied, and better understand ways to work with children with special needs.