PRADIP : CENTRE FOR AUTISM MANAGEMENT
PRADIP : CENTRE FOR AUTISM MANAGEMENT

PRADIP : CENTRE FOR AUTISM MANAGEMENT

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has allotted 7,000 sq. ft. of land on lease for 99 years at a cost of Rupees two lakh. We have a plan to construct a building of our own which will house not only the school but a vocational training center, a conference hall, a home for Autistic Children with maximum possible amenities etc. But we are not quite sure how and from where the fund will be arranged and thus we don't know when our dreams will come true.

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

 

 
The need to establish our centre was felt when it was found that parents of autistic children had been taking their wards to different Special Schools where students of different types of mental disabilities were being attended simultaneously. Since the problem of Autism is altogether different from any other kind of mental disablement, a special center, where only the autistic children would be given care, was very much needed. The centre started its activities in the month of July 1999, with organizing seminars, symposia and workshops on different aspects of Autism. Those were addressed and attended by eminent psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and parents of affected children. There were some home-based programmes as well.

In the month of April, 2000 we started imparting training and therapy in a regular and structured system. Presently the school is running 5 days-a-week, viz. Monday to Friday in two sessions viz., Morning (10.30AM - 1.30PM) and Evening (2.00PM-5.00PM). Presently the total strength of student is 70 (including the part-timers who stay at distant places and can attend the school only 2-3 days every week) and staff strength is 25 including Psychologists, Special Educators, Physiotherapists, Speech Therapists, Music Therapists, and trained Care Givers. Ours is the only organization in Kolkata, and may be in the whole of Eastern India, which is dedicated solely to the cause of Autism. Other institutions which have some autistic wards with them, train them alongwith other mentally handicapped children, which, we believe, is not very effective for the Autistics.

Comments (1) | Add a Comment

I am very happy to know about this center and would like to know the location in Kolkata.
Gitanjali Sen | gita166@hotmail.com | October 27, 2007