Vela special School for the deaf

In the school for hearing impaired children each child is subjected to audiogram to assess the level of hearing loss. Children below 5 years of age are taken to the Jipmer Institute, Pondicherry for BERA tests. Then they are given world class hearing aids (SIEMENS) free of cost, depending on the degree of hearing loss. Every child receives speech training and basic education with the aid of computers. Besides, theses children are trained in tailoring, computer usage, painting, games and yoga. Besides education, the children are given shelter, food, books and all other learning aids.

One to One Teaching

At the early stage of schooling, it is difficult to make the child concentrate on the lessons, mainly because of the hearing impairment. To win their confidence and make them more attentive, children are taught on a one to one basis till they get used to regular classrooms.

Computer Education

Children are being introduced to computer at a very young age. A Chennai based software company specialized in E-learning has come forward to help the hearing impaired children of the school by arranging a sponsor for three classrooms. Once this comes through, children form std 1 to 10 will be taught subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology by this method. When children were exposed to an experimental classroom, both the children and the teachers were excited. They are looking forward to the introduction of E-Classrooms.

Early Intervention Program for Hearing Impaired Children

The idea is to identify children between the age of 1 to 3 with hearing loss. They are trained by special educators who enable the children to develop communicative skills, like normal children. Then the children are put in the mainstream in a regular school like a normal child with one difference – the child has to continue use of hearing aid.

Beyond Classroom Learning

Beyond classroom, we train several activities like Yoga, Physiotherapy, Exercises, cultural programs to encourage children to do day to day activities like a normal child.Children with cerebral palsy, autism, multiple disabilities and other birth defects come under this group. Vela school has a special early intervention centre for mentally challenged children. Children between the age of 1 to 6 are selected. They are trained to develop muscular co – ordination through special programmes and are subjected to regular physiotherapy by qualified physiotherapists. The individual Education programme(IEP) that is being extended to these children is of great help.