Sparsh - Discover Humanity

Teaching Emotional Handling to Special Children

2012-05-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Certain ailments affect a child in a way that prohibits him from understanding emotions. At times all it takes is special tricks for training emotions in order to build emotional health in a child. Naturally like we have connection with our emotional selves, special children lack it and do not easily recognize emotions and feelings. They feel disconnected with their emotions, although they truly do feel it and but face difficulty expressing them. Further, it causes a rift between their ability to associate with others. In order to teach emotional handling, a caregiver or teacher can use strategies that are quick and easily modified.

Try and discuss about emotions and answer to questions of your child openly. However, always remember the developmental age of your child in mind and then take action.
To handle emotions of your child, first you need to have close talk with your child and try to understand and then encourage him to express what is happening with him/her and its reaction.
Develop positive outlook by providing him with lot of books.
Tell him to manage emotions by doing his favorite things like listening to soothing music, watching TV, exercising, or spending time with a pet.
Involving in some or the other activities (games, writing something, or doing other physical activity) and keeping him/herself busy can be helpful to alleviate emotions.
Reassure your child that everyone feels same and emotions are common for all. He just needs to learn how to cope up with them.
Share all your emotions in life with the child, when suitable.
Identification is important. Guide your child to recognize how he/she feels when emotional.

It is important to teach the child some cool-down technique such as taking a deep breath, counting numbers, remembering something good to stop getting worried and all.

Vocational Training for People with Special Needs

2012-04-13T04:01:00.001-07:00

Work education trains people with special needs to understand the world of work and prepares them for their possible future career. No doubt, it is big transition for them to enter into any employment. They face difficulty adjusting in the new environment and fail to understand competition that exists in the market.

Under work education curriculum, special people are offered counseling and are provided intense training in vocational skills. It involves awareness of work ethics, appropriate work habits, and responsibility sharing. In addition, it includes development and inculcation of values such as punctuality, honesty, respect for teamwork, dignity of labor, and productivity consciousness etc.

They obviously take more time to adjust to the work environment, develop rapport with colleagues and they also take time to understand money management. Work education thus acts as an interface between world of work and education that changes their attitude and creates awareness to them exposing them to various job opportunities. Thus, students with special needs while pursuing training are able to figure out what all jobs are suitable to them. They are able to take up vocation in accordance to their abilities, aptitudes, and interest.

SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT

Supported employment is another concept under work educats an opportunity to earn comion that provides persons with disabilities or special need petitive wages along with their other co-workers. The approach used under this concept is place-train rather train-place one which means individual is placed on the job and then provided training on the job-site. This approach is helpful to people with disabilities who have never worked competitively and their work history has been interrupted of their disability.

Healthy Lifestyle For Special Children

2012-03-27T03:06:00.004-07:00

A child with special needs benefits from healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity and healthy eating boosts their growth and aids in curing ailment. A proper disciplinary regime prevents weight problems and other diseases related to sedentary lifestyle.

Most of the parents are clueless about right methods of nurturing their kids. Overweight in special children can add on to their existing problems as it is raising them is challenging. Though they may ensure well-being of their child but seeking professional help is utterly important.

Healthy Diet

Sudden changes in food habits may not be good for them. Gradually and slowly introducing food changes help. Parents need to explain patiently to the child to stop eating certain foods that are not good for them or start eating them less. Explain them - this is why 'we' are going to be eating this new way and how it will benefit.

To encourage healthy eating habits in special children offer them small serves of food in the beginning. When he/she will develop a taste gradually, then he/she may ask for a second helping. Healthy eating may also be promoted through offering a variety of foods to children from a very young age.

In case of special kids, it is always advisable to consult the specialist for what kind of food is allowed and is suggested healthy for them. There may be certain food items that maybe harmful depending on the existing medical condition.

Proper Sleep

To understand critical nature of sleep that augments in child’s growth and development, parents’ first need to figure out what healthy sleeping is and what amount of sleep is quality sleep.

Simply what is required is that, children simply must have a sufficient amount of sleep to develop, grow, and function properly and again it varies from case to case. Even it is varies by age. Parents need to monitor the sleeping pattern of the child and then closely observe behavioral activities after that. One should remember each child is unique and individual variation occurs.

Exercise

Special children require exercise just as much as other children. Even it is more essential for them. Exercise is a good element for reducing stress and emotional troubles. Physical and psychological impairments can make it difficult for them to get adequate exercise. Even it gets more crucial as they don't have friends to play with.

However, special-needs children can try out options to get adequate exercise. Before adopting any fitness routine, it is vital to consult child's physician.

Empowering Disabled Children with Self-Belief

2012-03-10T03:24:00.007-08:00

Infusing self-belief in a disabled child requires combined effort by parents, friends, community and school. All of them are essential in establishing sense of importance and self worth in the child.Children with disabilities often feel that others are able to perform tasks more easily which are intensely difficult for them. They begin feel bad about themselves and it highly de-motivates them.

Disable people often face criticism frequently or receive more than required global praise. Criticism damages self-esteem in them and loaded praise and support makes them passive learner. It is also too abstract to be meaningful to concrete thinkers. Parents must train themselves to comment on the positive as much as possible by using very specific praise that will cultivate desired behaviors and boost their child’s self-esteem. By specific praise, the child gets very clear on what behaviors are liked and expected by everyone around.

Parents and teachers can also boost self-esteem by figuring out what disabled child can do well and by further fostering and supporting those areas greatly. It may or may not help them to feel better about their academic performance, but it definitely helps them to feel better about themselves.

Another parenting strategy is to teach them by laying examples that many people have overcome their difficulties and thereby have become successful. This can be done by reading biographies of personalities who have struggled to achieve their goals despite their illness or disability. Reading about such challenges gives direction to them. Parents must teach their kids to view obstacles as challenges. It helps children with disabilities to adopt a problem-solving attitude. They must learn when to ask for help and who to ask for it. All this forms an important part of life skills that these children must learn.

Moreover, parents can also introduce their child to highly effective members of society who have struggled with disabilities similar to those of the child. They can serve as role models and inspiration to them.

Disabled children feel better about them when they understand that doing things differently, learning differently, and being different is OK, and that differences enrich our lives.

How Dementia Impacts Children?

2012-02-23T22:19:00.004-08:00

Majorly found in adults particularly elders, dementia also affects children. Children with dementia show personality changes and unusual or distressing behavior. Further, it leads to memory loss; affects ability to think clearly, creates difficulty in understanding words and recognizing people.

Causes

In children it may result due to several factors like - infection, poisoning, lack of some nutrients, brain injury etc. Also, some unique disorders can also cause dementia. In some cases dementia arises due to genetic factors and often metabolic disorders also that affect brain. In pregnant mothers, insufficient folic acid i.e. Vitamin B9 can also cause underdeveloped infant brain cells resulting in dementia later in child’s life.

Symptoms

The commonest symptom of dementia is memory loss. But just memory loss by itself does not mean that a child has dementia. Other accompanying symptoms are personality and behavior changes, clumsiness, stumbling, or slow learning. Children may also develop mental impairment, progressive loss of motor skills and sight, and seizures. The child may look healthy from outside but, on the inside, their brain is not functioning appropriately.

Problems Faced By Children Afflicted With Dementia

Dementia affects people differently. Children with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual performance and it interferes with their normal activities. Due to increasing forgetfulness, the child may not be able to follow directions and instructions. A child may lose his ability maintain emotional control, and may experience problems such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations etc. He may repeat the same story over and over, again and ask same questions many times. Also they face difficulty in communicating. He may face difficulty in finding right words or completing sentences. They also have problems with thinking and recognizing people, and will sometimes forget what things are used for.

Coping Dementia In Children

Most importantly parents must always be in contact in with the child and must interact with him frequently. It will give the child an opportunity to ask questions and express his feelings, fear and experiences. Adults around kids affected with dementia must always remember that the child may not be able to take too much information download at one time and so you must always try to keep it simple and respond to their questions at their level.Be in strong coordination with the child’s teacher or school counselor. Let them know about dementia and that child suffering from it requires specialized attention. Visit school from time to time to check if the child has experienced any problems. Encourage learning about dementia in the school environment and with the child’s friends and peer groups.

Fund Raising by Sparsh to Empower the Lives of Underprivileged Children

2012-02-03T03:31:00.000-08:00

Validation! Validation of who we are, where we are coming from, and where we are aiming to go forward in life is a driving force for every little task that we do. But have you ever stopped for a moment and thought about those who don’t know where they come from? Whom do they belong to? How and why did they land into an underprivileged set-up?

If not yet, then perhaps it’s about time you paused and thought about this issue, heartily.

An NGO working persistently towards the betterment of these underprivileged people, with an aim to nurture them into an individual who has every right to lead a happy and meaningful life is, SPARSH. Promoted by Marvel Group that comprises of Mother’s Pride, Presidium and Adiva, this organization has a simple vision, embrace and spread compassion.

Three years back, Sparsh Special School was established to give wings to the dreams of these impoverished children, women and most importantly, mentally and physically challenged kids. The school is striving to address every single need of these special children so that one day, they too can walk shoulder to shoulder, with you and me. To work on this cherished dream even more vigorously now, we are seeking support, acknowledgement and love from all sections of the society.

And as they say that “A good deed is never lost”, Sparsh would welcome you to discover humanity by getting associated with it in the following ways:

You can become a patron trustee by donating a sum of Rs. 5 lakh

A life member by donating a sum of Rs. 2 lakh

An executive member by donating a sum of Rs. 1 lakh

An associate trustee by donating a sum of Rs. 50, 000

You can even contribute lesser amounts starting from Rs.250 to Rs. 11,000. Also, people contributing Rs.51, 00 and Rs. 11,000 will get special mementos from the Sparsh family as a token of gratitude.

*Remember that all the contributions are tax exempted u/s-80G

At Sparsh, we try to enlighten the lives of these beloved children by providing them with vocational training, occupational therapy, expert guidance, nutritious food, books and a lot more. But we have just begun! And to keep this effort alive and strong, we would appreciate if you could also lend your hand. Adopting a child, making a contribution monetarily or perhaps in any other way which you think could make a difference, is highly looked forward to and valued.

For further details: Contact: Surbhi Kashyap -7838654060

Email us- info@thesparsh.org

Visit our website www.thesparsh.org

Understanding Childhood Depression

2012-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

Childhood depression is different from everyday blues and mood swings. It resembles emotional dips which can be pervasive and long-lasting. It may even get dangerous and life-threatening when overlooked by parents. Depression has really strong symptoms which need to be identified as early as possible. It can also be termed as serious mental health condition that needs medical assessment and treatment.

Identifying depression

The symptoms of depression vary from child to child. Some of the prime symptoms of persistent depression are sadness, irritability, anger etc. Some of the others are –

• Social withdrawal- Loss of interest in playing and enjoying with friends and family

• Feeling worthlessness, hopelessness and low self-esteem – Child may repeatedly say extreme words about one-self like –‘I am bad. I am stupid’ etc

• Physical discomfort or problems like headache, stomach ache or other physical pains etc.

• Change in eating pattern - appetite may increase or decrease

• Vocal or anger outburst and excessive crying

• Difficulty in concentrating

• Changes in sleep pattern - sleeplessness or excessive sleep

• Difficulty in concentrating

• Fatigue and low energy

Factors that may cause depression

There may be more than one cause for depression. It is the result of several factors. Generally, depression is usually caused due to lowered levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, both in adults and children. This limits person’s ability to feel good.

There are also genetic factors which may be responsible for depression. Certain drastic events such as death of a loved one, separation of a friend can become reasons of depression. In teen years, break up may be one of the biggest reasons of depression in children. Along with that, chronic illness can also contribute to depression or side –effects of certain medicinal intake.

Treatment

Psychotherapy (counseling) : Child psychiatrist or psychologist through counseling can help in identifying right cause of depression. May further evaluate degree of depression and plan treatment accordingly. The counselor might prescribe counseling and therapy sessions of child with family and friends.

Medication: Usually doctor may suggest psychotherapy first and consider antidepressant medicine as an additional option if there is no improvement in condition.

Combination of psychotherapy and medication is most effective to successfully treat childhood depression. Remember, not to terminate your child's treatment till he/she is fully cured. Early detection is the key of treating depression in kids. Type of treatment also depends on child’s age and maturity. Therefore, choosing right treatment and doctor is highly important.

SAVE THE GIRL CHILD

2012-01-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

“A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and promise of the future.” Anonymous

This quotation was printed on a card I received for a baby girl shower party recently. I was overwhelmed with pride and love for a girl child. But this feeling of pride was soon overshadowed by a question my niece asked me a little later. She asked me very innocently that why her best friend, our maid’s daughter Neeta, never went to a school. A few days ahead of this, she asked me that why Neeta’s mother, Susheela was persistently ill and on leave. I was at my wit’s end.

Susheela got married five years back to a local Chai wala and Neeta were born to her soon after a year of the wedlock. Her in-laws were awfully unhappy FROM HER over the birth of a girl child. Since then she has had multiple miscarriages in a pursuit to have a baby boy. Because of this her health and work suffered tremendously.

Female Infanticide: A Disgrace

While writing this article, I am reminded of an old prehistoric Indian proverb, “A home without a daughter is like a body without soul”. Back then, the birth of a girl child was compared to the arrival of goddesses like Lakshmi and Saraswati. However, things changed after a few invasions on India, inter cultural exchange and extreme poverty. Suddenly, the birth of a girl child was considered inauspicious, a curse, a lifelong burden and this ailing conviction is still very much ubiquitous.

Sex determination is a criminal act under the Indian jurisdiction but still people manage to get the sex checked and the unborn baby is aborted heartlessly. Regrettably, this practice is very common in even the affluent and rich families as the “male” is considered as an actual, deserving heir to the family’s name and glory! Appalling!!

Nurture Her

Even if a girl child is not aborted and given the right to be born and live, then also she has to be taken care off in the same way as any boy.

Basic Education

It is understandable that in a poor and developing nation like India, access to education and that too by girls is exceedingly impossible. But the need of the hour is AWARENESS! Government of India has initiated many schemes under the “Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan” or “Education for All” where, every child is entitled to a primary education (free) from the age of 6 to 14 years. This program especially reaches out to the females by stressing the institutes to provide free textbook to the girls, provision for separate toilets, back to school camps for out-of –schools girls, etc. Many NGO's are also taking initiative to provide education to girl child in India through 'Project Shakti', promoted by Sparsh. As a parent and more than that as a responsible citizen, it is our moral duty to ensure that every single girl in our family, extended family, social circle, girls who are working for us, maid’s daughters etc. are entitled to this right to education and must be encourage and helped, to avail it.

Health and Nutrition

Every girl has a right to get balanced nutritious diet and safe sanitary conditions, access to hospitals and doctors during illness and a right to rest. It is seen in many poor households that the girl child is deprived of an occasional fruit and a milk drink at the cost of giving it to her brother. This is criminal. We, the educated and well read people should reach out to these people and counsel them that by doing such acts, they are being unreasonably prejudiced.

Child Marriage

In India, there are many rural areas where girls are married off at a pretty young age resulting in brutal assassination of the childhood, unhealthy reproductive, psychological and over all well being of a girl. Marrying off a girl before the age of 18 years is stringently forbidden by law but the lack of political will and intervention, subservience of a girl’s family are some of the contributing factors because of which this practice is flourishing full throttle. We as a responsible citizen should report any such happening to the police and if you get to know about such marriages in future, try reasoning with the parents of both sides. Good sense might prevail.

Your take

You might be excruciatingly involved in your family and job but life is not just about taking care of your own needs, it is also about extending your help to those who are in dire need of it. Join some NGO and impart a skill to these little girls. Try contributing clothes and books. Discourage your friends and family members in hiring young maids. If you have any maid, teach her!

Saving a girl doesn’t only mean that she has to take birth only, she has to be taken care off, fed well, should be given primary education or at least some vocational training, should be protected and most importantly, she should be loved.

Spread the word that female infanticide is unlawful and ethically terrible and girls are to be cherished, not to be discarded!!

Famous People With Dyslexia Who Strived To Overcome Their Weakness

2011-12-20T02:06:00.000-08:00

There are famous personalities in almost all fields, who have suffered from dyslexia and have strived to make their mark in the respective fields. Be it sports, entertainment, politics and academia. These are some of the most brilliant thinkers and artists with extraordinary will and determination.Dyslexia is a form of learning disability that weakens person’s ability to comprehend accurately and speak fluently when reading and communicating. It poses difficulty in phonological decoding, phonological awareness, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory and rapid naming. It is believed that dyslexia affects almost 5 to 10 percent of population. There are three subtypes of dyslexia: auditory, visual and attention related. The most common form of dyslexia is reading disability. One needs to understand that just because a student is diagnosed with learning disability doesn't mean that he or she can't succeed in the world.

Some of the famous people who belong to this league are - Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Tom Cruise, Mozart and Robin Williams; enlisted as being famous in the field of art. Tom Cruise, very popular Hollywood actor, struggled with his disability. He admits that he has grown up with reading disability, where he faced problem with written words appearing to be omitted, distorted and modified.

Napoleon Bonaparte is also known to be afflicted with dyslexia. Another great personality was Winston Churchill, who led Great Britain during World War II. He suffered from speech impediment from the childhood. He could not learn alphabet until the age of nine and was unable to read till the age of twelve.

One of the geniuses and greatest mathematician - Albert Einstein also suffered from this disability. He was a 'below average' student at school. He could not speak until he was three and was very weak in Math. Other known geniuses are - Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. Edison found difficulty in reading until he was twelve and in writing, even after that. Some of the famous business Entrepreneurs like Richard Branson, David Neeleman and Charles Schwab were also dyslexics. The list is endless but all have one thing in common their determination to excel fighting all odds.

Some of the common symptoms in dyslexics are - feelings of shame, fear, depression and loneliness. Recent bollywood movie - "Taarein Zameen Par", highlighted learning disabilities and helped in creating awareness about it.However, this disorder can be treated by the use of proper teaching methods and therapy. By simply providing early assistance in studies, like helping a dyslexic child to solve small math problem or word associated problems.

Sparsh Children Dazzle on World Disability Day

2011-12-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

In India over 7 million people are disabled and unfortunately no special policies are crafted for this particular challenged segment, which still remains oppressed and isolated. Disabled people are often victim of discrimination. It is the society which needs to take adequate steps to involve them in the mainstream; making them part of the social, political, economic and cultural aspects of the community.

Every year 3rd December is observed as International Disability Day or World Disability Day. Several schools, NGO’s, government bodies and even corporate houses organize numerous events to express their solidarity with disabled people.

On this day, Sparsh an NGO organized an event to encourage the abilities of the differently abled and to honor their talents. The motive of the event was to make people aware of the fact that even special children have special talents and also, to draw the attention of the policy makers towards the issues and problems faced by disabled in the society and also to increase public awareness about it.

Present at the event were eminent guests including Smt. Arti Mehra (Former Mayor, Delhi) and Mrs. Kiran Chopra (Founder, Varisht Nagrik Kesari Club) who gave an awe-inspiring speech stimulating the audiences. Chairperson of Presidium and Mother’s Pride and Chief mentor of Sparsh, Mrs. Sudha Gupta and President of Sparsh, Mr M.P Singh also expressed their happiness of being committed towards such a special cause.

Special children of Sparsh gave extraordinary performance on ‘Jai Ho’ that left audience mesmerized. Their presentation touched the hearts of the parents and relatives of the special children. Many of them were proud to see their child performing so brilliantly on the stage.

The girls of 'Project Shakti' also enthralled everyone with their beautifully choreographed performance. The children of Savera Special School were awarded with medals for winning various positions in the Sport’s event held recently at the school. Also, they were rewarded for making noteworthy efforts in making Touch of Heaven products.

The applause was never ending as audience supported and encouraged the special children on the stage. The beautiful expressions on the faces of these special children created an aura of happiness.The show gracefully concluded with refreshments for everyone. The efforts and dedication of the children was admired by everyone and the message behind World Disability Day was well delivered.

Invite for World Disability Day

2011-11-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

It is with great pleasure that Sparsh NGO for unprivileged invites you to the World Disability Day celebration on 3rd December' 2011, with the aim to empower the underprivileged children.

Your presence will make a huge difference in the lives of these special children inspiring them to become a productive member of the society.

Come and show your solidarity.

Teaching Tips For ADHD students

2011-11-28T00:47:00.001-08:00

ADHD child at school may face trouble paying attention, regulating behavior and even sitting still in the class at times. Generally you may find his/her desk will often be messy and may even lose important papers and assignments.

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder is a chronic condition, which may interfere with daily life, causing problems in school life of children and as well as at home. If it is not treated on time, it can slow down social, emotional and academic growth of the child.

By following few guidelines, educators can impart teaching in a better way to ADHD students -

Teachers must try to break complex instructions into small and simpler parts.
Educators need to pay extra focus on assignments of ADHD children and need to keep track of homework.
Don’t overburden or pressurize ADHD child. Provide regular and frequent breaks.
Try and seat the child away from distractions and make him sit next to students who are positive role models.
Make the child feel comfortable in the group settings. As children with ADHD easily get distracted in large groups.
Make ADHD students learn subjects with help of color coding method. Associate each subject with a particular colour. Use certain color for subject’s textbook cover and on the folder or workbook for that subject.
Develop a reward system for in-school work and homework completion.
Teachers can distribute certain prizes and awards for active and accurate participation by the student.
Keep record of the timelines on the board each day. Provide due dates for assignments every time.
Adapt Curriculum and Instruction- Provide more direct instruction and as much one-on-one instruction as possible. Use guided instruction.
Giving Assignments- Give out only one task at a time. Monitor frequently. Maintain a supportive attitude.

Tips on Improving Social Skills:

Students with short attention span problems experience difficulties in the social area, especially with peer relationships.
They easily don’t understand social cues and act impulsively.
They have limited self-awareness and tend not to recognize positive feedback.
They tend to play better with younger or older children when their roles are clearly defined.
While interacting they might ramble and speak out embarrassing things to other students of their age. Areas and time-periods with less structure and can be problematic.

Empowering Underprivileged With Skills

2011-11-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

With the objective of encouraging the underprivileged to acquire skill, several NGOs take the onus to provide training and produce products that will appraise the society about their capability. Such initiatives are taken by the NGOs not only to make them self-reliant but also to develop in them a sense of pride regarding their earnings. The special children are trained to prepare crafts and other marketable items which prove to be good learning for them and moreover these hand-made products have good value in the market.

Other medium, which NGOs employ are organizing exhibitions from time to time, where these products are displayed and sold to buyers directly. It not only boosts the confidence of underprivileged but also gives them new hope for the future. Further, it helps them to develop new positive outlook towards life. Moreover, the feeling of financial security makes them feel independent and motivated.

Nowadays, buying eco-friendly and hand-made products is the new trend in the market. NGOs can very take advantage of this opportunity and prepare similar products like diyas, torans, bags, cards, gift articles, decorative and household items, gift bags, wrapping paper, kurtis, shoulder bags, wall hangings, cushion covers, etc. Also, other popular products are - drawings, paintings, toys, dolls, presentation articles, consumer goods, food items and other items of common use etc. This way NGOs benefit in spreading awareness for their cause and it also helps in garnering maximum support from the people.

NGO Sparsh and its products

One such NGO Sparsh provides an opportunity to the underprivileged to generate their income. Sparsh is dedicated for the empowerment and welfare of all sections of the society- women, children, elderly and especially the physically & mentally challenged.It mainly focuses on empowering the underprivileged with the necessary skills to manage life on their own. However, the thrust area of Sparsh is empowerment of mentally and physically challenged children.

Touch of Heaven and Love in Wraps are special initiatives of Sparsh, where products especially made by the underprivileged are marketed and the revenue generated helps them to be to self reliant and productive members of the society. Room fresheners, scented candles and gift envelopes are some of the products; carried under these labels. So, whenever you come across these products on the shop shelves, go ahead and pick them up, your small gesture can bring big change in their lives.

Diwali Gifts Tradition in Present Times

2011-10-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

Today, the tradition of exchanging gifts on Diwali has reached new heights altogether. In the present times, exchanging gifts is not so simple anymore. Greater importance is given to the fact that gifts need to be as per desired societal mores. People go out of their way to splurge for themselves and for their loved ones. This very tradition of shopping and buying gifts is very much harnessed by marketers today.

This custom of exchanging gifts is not a recent trend. It has been followed ardently from ancient times. The only difference is that earlier sweets and decorative were produced at home and gifted. These gifts used to be not so expensive but were considered as token of love and good wishes.

However, even today selecting gifts for your loved ones require lot of brainstorming and head scratching. People are generally very confused thinking -what to buy and what not to buy? People remain dubious even after purchasing the gift; whether they have selected the right gift or not. One can choose from plenty of options available in the market but in the end they all tend to bewilder you. Some of the popular traditional gift items available in the market are - Puja Thalis, Lakshmi -Ganesh idols and coins etc.

Buy Auspicious Gifts from NGO Sparsh

The basic idea behind tradition of gifting is to accelerate the feeling of love, bonding, affection and appreciation. Gifts convey respect, good wishes, blessings, and love to our near and dear ones.

Therefore, on such propitious occasion, instead of buying expensive gifts from the market, one can opt to buy Diwali gift items from NGOs. Sparsh, one such NGO which prepares unique gifts on Diwali. Special children from Savera Special School using their creative skills prepare beautiful decorative Diwali baskets which contains 6 beautiful Diyas, 6 Candles, special Touch of Heaven incense sticks, Goddess Laxmi foot prints and other puja material.

Diwali is a religious festival and sending gifts on the occasion symbolizes one's prayers to the almighty for the prosperity and well being of the recipient. More than the gift itself, it is the love and spirit of Diwali that brings a smile to every face.

So, by buying these gifts from NGO Sparsh, you can help special children earn their livelihood independently. This Diwali you can thus lighten up the lives of these Children and make their Diwali really special.

How to Protect Special Children from Bullying?

2011-10-20T01:23:00.000-07:00

Bullying is an increasing problem in schools and cannot be ignored. Though there is lot of awareness about it today, but lot needs to be done. The gravity of problem becomes grave when it is in concern with special children. Children with special needs are more likely to get bullied as they become easy prey for the bullies. Special children lack in social skills, verbal and non verbal cues and they don’t understand the ways to cope with the situation. They have trouble correctly interpreting the bullying situation and they fall easy as the target.

Children with Special Needs are at Greater Risk

They are vulnerable but can be easily provoked. Such children often find it hard to distinguish between socially appropriate and socially awkward behavior. They are not able to gauge what’s right or wrong.

Bullying can be termed as an aggressive behavior that is often repeated over many times. It can take many forms such as hitting, kicking, or shoving (physical bullying), teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying), intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional Bullying) etc.

Children with medical conditions that affect their appearances like cerebral palsy, muscular Dystrophy etc, are more likely to be victimized by their peers. Also, there is higher risk of obese children for being bullied in the age group of 11-16.

Ways to Ward Off Bullying

Parents of children with special needs have hard time dealing with day to day challenges related to their special kids. Bullying is one such major problem and parents need to be vigilant about it. So what can parents do? How can they protect their child from being bullied?

Caution your Child: Teach your child, how to spot a bully. Tell your child exactly what he should do when bullying happens. Be very specific, even giving him the exact words to say, like, "Stop teasing me!" or "Leave me alone." Or, tell your child to say nothing and simply walk away.

Keep Watch: Stay in close contact with your child. Talk to your child’s special education teacher, school counselor and other kids in the classroom. Whenever possible drop your kid to school and also pick him up several times. Engage in frequent conversations with your child ask him – how are things going on and look out for signs like depression or negative feelings, if child fails to express or hesitant to share.

Altogether, Successful anti-bullying strategies require group effort from school officials, early childhood professionals and students involved in bullying as targets or aggressors. Teachers and other staff should also be trained on how to cope with to bullying, while victims and bullies need training in special social skills.

Women Education India: Dreams Are Not Just Restricted To One Gender!!

2011-09-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, once said, “You can tell the state of a nation by looking at the status of the women there”. How true his words are? Women play a significant role in a country’s economic development. Better living condition for them can escalate nation’s growth rapidly. More so as women are mostly untapped resources and their potentials generally remain unexplored.

Education, especially women’s education is the key element that lacks particularly in India. If one closely observes the status of women in India, one would find their position is daunting and pathetic. As per the recent stats, female literacy rate in India is still 54.16 percent, which is quite low. No one can turn blind eye to the fact that women have a much lower literacy rate than men. Far fewer girls are enrolled in the schools, and many of them are drop out. Even if girls are encouraged to receive education, greater challenge remains, the learning provided to them is too little to prepare them for 21^st– century job markets.

Education of women is significant in improving living standards of the country. Higher literacy rate of women helps in improving quality of life both at home and outside as education cannot be just linked to employment but affects others aspects like fertility , hygiene etc. Studies show lower women literacy rate results in high levels infant mortality, poorer nutrition, lower earning etc.

In India, there is great disparity amongst different states regarding female literacy rate. States like Kerala has female literacy rate of about 86 percent, whereas Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have 55-60 percent. Furthermore, the disparity of female literacy rates across rural and urban areas is also too high.

NGO Support

Many NGOs are working to uplift status of Indian women in many ways. Women education is one such pivotal aspect for which several NGOs are working aggressively. Education not only stimulates female empowerment but also fortifies the process of changing prevalent misguided mindsets and derivative of socio- cultural factors towards the girl child and women in general.

One such NGO working in this direction is SPARSH, which strongly believes that dreams are not just restricted to one gender and females should also get the opportunity to realize them. Its mission is to emancipate women and to motivate them to acquire new skills. 'Project Shakti', one of our initiatives aimed at providing girl child education in India that will empower them, and save them from poverty and exploitation. Presently, around 50 girls are being given free evening classes under this project.

Ahead With Autism

2011-09-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

Autism is just another word for many parents till their child gets diagnosed with it. Their immediate response to the shocking news is – ‘absolute denial’. They enter into the denial mode and further they decline to accept the child’s present health condition. They begin to feel anxious and depressed and some parent may even feel angry and resentful; others totally feel helpless and defeated. They start worrying about the child’s future and his ability to live normal life. Living with autism pose several new challenges for the person afflicted with it and along with him - his parents, family members and friends.

Identifying Autism

Behavioral characteristics: For onlookers it’s not easy to figure out if the child is autistic. Instructions like ‘be quiet’ or ‘behave properly ‘holds very little meaning for an autistic person. Petty day to day task such as going to park or shopping may present difficulty for parents and friends. Some of the behavioral characteristics of autistic children are – delayed or no response to stimuli , repetition of certain words or activity, use of reversal pronoun such as ( calling ‘you’ in place of ‘I’) etc.

Diagnosis: For identification of any disease proper diagnosis is essential. One of the major hurdles faced by parents of children with autism in India is to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Presently, there are no sure shot medical tests for Autism. A general diagnosis is based on observed behavior and psychological analysis. Moreover, they are to be to be done in the presence of team of specialists consisting of a pediatric neurologist, a psychiatrist, etc. Also, team may include an audiologist, to test if there is any amount hearing loss, a speech and language therapist to determine language skills, an occupational therapist to evaluate motor skills.

Understanding Autism

Autism, also known as pervasive developmental disorder (PDO) majorly affects social interaction communication and reciprocity, ranging from mild to severe. Autistic disorder begins early in childhood and it starts becoming apparent from the age of two or three and becomes noticeable as the child grows. Basically, Autism results because of neurological problem affecting the brain.

Curing Autism

Autism unlike other developmental disorders does not have a proper cure. There are varied therapies and programmes meant for healing Autistic persons. It is important for the parents of autistic children to be informed of issues related to the disease. Parents and family members should seek advice from professional team of doctors for their child’s treatment. They must address and communicate their concerns to counselors from time to time.

Raising Children With Special Needs

2011-08-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

Parents raising children with special needs face significant challenges from time to time. For some it may be equivalent to nightmare. The moment they discover that their child has a disability or a chronic illness, their immediate response surfaces in the form of sadness, irritation and confusion. It takes a while for parents to accept the news. Their next biggest challenge is to cope up with demanding parenting tasks.

Generally, parenting is regarded as joyful, rewarding but exhausting experience. It becomes a double ordeal when you need to cater to the requirements of a special child. You face hardships like frequent trips to hospitals and pharmacies; your juggle visits to doctors and therapists etc. Along with that the parents need to learn to deal with their emotional highs and lows with regard to their child.

Create A Loving Environment

It is important to create safe and loving environment for the child where he feels secure and loved. Parents must at any circumstances avoid nagging, lecturing or bribing the child. Rather, they should motivate the child to make wise decision about food and medication. Also, families nurturing special children need to be resilient, flexible and open-minded.

Manage Your Stress Levels

It is natural that families raising children with disabilities often experience a higher stress levels. But, it is advisable for parents to keep a tab on their anxiety and anger as it may lead to negative impact on the child. You may seek help from counselors who can guide you appropriately. Parents need to help their child cope well with challenges, comply with medical requirements and live a hope-filled life.

Reach Out To The Community

The utmost fear what many parents feel is that they along with their child would be marginalized from the mainstream society. It is important to relieve yourself with this concern and try to reach out to the community. Chances are, there may be some activities and support groups for children similar to your own, which will benefit you in huge way. Try and speak with other parents and see if you can sit down together. This will help you to provide essential information. By helping the community to know your kids you will create deeper understanding and acceptance for them.

Be Informed

It is vital to be informed about your child disability or illness. Read as much as you can about it. Do extensive internet research about it and collect information about latest therapies and medication available. Several parents are successful in gleaning knowledge about their child's illness just by internet research. At times other families are a great resource.

Therefore, parents of children with special needs face gauntlet of added obstacles which can be resolved by proper guidance and counseling. It is therefore no secret that special needs children indeed need special parents!!

Born To Be Free Movement

2011-08-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

This Independence Day, we aim to salute our nation by supporting the cause of needy and deprived children through ‘Born To Be Free Movement’. The main objective of the movement is to garner mass support; by making you a proud member of Sparsh.

Lend a BIG hand by paying a SMALL amount of Rs. 251, which is nothing but a token of your compassion and humanity to the children. You will be amazed to see, how this small contribution can bring a big change in their lives.

So, if you have innate desire to help and wipe tears of misery then JOIN US!! Become a MEMBER of Sparsh! Contact: 7838654146 or visit the nearest Mother’s Pride and Presidium branch.

Every member will be given a Sparsh membership card and a booklet to inspire and bring in more members to strengthen the cause.

Your dedication, support and efforts will be acknowledged through appreciation certificates, star badges and trophies. Also, your name will be specially mentioned on the Sparsh website.

You can get associated with Sparsh in the following ways :

Become a TRUSTEE!

SHOP FOR A CAUSE!

ADOPT!

DONATE!

VOLUNTEER!

SPREAD THE WORD!

For further details Contact: 7838654146 or visit the nearest Mother’s Pride and Presidium branch

Work For A Cause Not For An Applause

2011-08-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

Many of us are leading a mechanized life, working round the clock hysterically; in a bid to establish an existence which fits perfectly with our societal mores. But, somewhere deep down inside, we all harbor a secret ambition to work for a cause or to make a meaningful contribution to our society. Sadly, we don’t do so, as we all are so engrossed in earning our steady paychecks and other benefits, that we don’t take step in this direction.

Eventually, we learn to ignore this persistent little tug and with time we kill it. But everyone, at some point of their lives, does realize; how important it is to work for achieving the goals of humanity. And after this realization, one can’t think of any reason, why shouldn’t one work for it or work towards it? Think, about the cause or the issue that has always been close to your heart. Maybe you’ve always wanted to work for the betterment of underprivileged children, women empowerment or elderly. You can always opt for a cause or a purpose that kindles your passion and faith. Your true passion for the cause can bring a sense of peace and satisfaction that you may not derive from your daily job. Rewinding and relaxing is important but it is as important to work for a noble cause as it truly brings joy to you and to others.

Sparsh, an NGO promoted by Marvel Group comprising of Mother’s Pride, Presidium, Adiva and The Knowledge Tree can help you realize your suppressed-goals i.e. to work for the betterment of humanity. Sparsh was born in the year 1996. Since then, it is dedicatedly working for the empowerment and welfare of all sections of the society- women, children, elderly and especially the physically & mentally challenged. The thrust area of the Sparsh is empowerment of mentally and physically challenged children.

Sparsh is currently working on various projects, where you can lend your hand and volunteer in the programs. One of them is 'Savera Special School', a school for destitute children with special needs. It is an institution of love, where these children get the right to life with respect and dignity. Another significant Project is – ‘Project Shakti’ that aims to empower girl child by providing them quality education. In addition to this, other special initiatives of Sparsh are ‘Touch of Heaven’ and ‘Love in Wraps’, where products made by the underprivileged are marketed and the revenue generated is used in making them self reliant and productive members of the society. Other varied projects of Sparsh are –Masti Ki Pathshala , Employment To Persons With Disability, The Being Training , Make A Difference etc..

So, what are you waiting for, give your innate desires wings to fly. Just go for it! Join Sparsh!!