Information for Parents
At Sristi, we aim to help as many people as we can – through sharing information, creating support networks, and through the admission of people to Sristi Village and Sristi Special School.
As a parent, you must be having a lot of questions and we do understand that. That is why we created this section to give you as much information as we can.
I’m a parent – what will happen to my Intellectually disabled child after I am gone?
While many parents know the day will come when their child will live independently. Parents of children with special needs are worried about what would happen to their children after they die. Every parent needs to plan for their child’s future but parents of children with special needs must be even more vigilant. Our goal in serving children with special needs is to ensure that they live the most purposeful and meaningful life. We are working in the area of giving the parents assurance and confidence that their children will be taken care of even after their death.
Raising a child with special needs requires significant thought from the parents. Parents often voiced concern about the care for their child when they are not around as well as their hopes for what they could achieve.
Sristi’s community model results in the strengthening of the parent’s hope and social inclusion of their children with special needs. In our community, we develop members in the area of independent living and community integration. This improves the quality of life, participation, self-determination, decision making and creates an opportunity for a pure meaningful, and integrated life. Our use of farming as a tool also creates an inclusive and eco-responsible world where everyone is given the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Finding support with the Parent’s Association
Sristi supported to initiate ‘Parents association for children with special needs’ in Pondicherry and Villupuram District. It aims to unite all the parents so that they can function as one community and support and solve each other’s problems. Help of all sorts is provided to everyone – there is individual assistance, guidance, and training for each child and family, enabling them to be independent in the future. Parent’s participation in the special education decision-making process is very important.
Communication in the family environment is very important for every child despite their lack of cognitive, emotional, social, and language developmental skills. Parents can feel anxious and stressed in the education and rehabilitation process due to the disability of the children. So we conduct counselling and sharing sessions where mothers learn through role-playing and share their experience.
Through this association – you can also learn about and gain access to government schemes, learn about the rights of the intellectually disabled child, find referral services, share peer learning and undertake many awareness programmes to learn more about special child needs in the right way.
Admission procedure – Joining Sristi
- To be placed in SRISTI SPECIAL SCHOOL, the child age should be 3 to 18 years and to be placed in SRISTI VILLAGE as a residential member the age should be above 18 years
- To admit a new member case history will be taken from the child’s parents / guardian
FOR SRISTI SPECIAL SCHOOL
- The school application form will be given to fill in and after two weeks the assessment procedure will be followed by our director and professional special educators.
- Parents-meet will be followed and information regarding the child’s present condition and plans for the future will be discussed.
- Once the child is placed in the Sristi school, the year will be divided into three terms and we set a goal for every individual with proper implementation, an evaluation will be followed and it will be discussed with parents in parents and staff meeting conducted every 3rd week of the month.
SERVICES PROVIDED
- Special education
- Special training
- Speech therapy
- Yoga / exercises
- Behaviour therapy
- Play activity
- Parental Counselling
- Sibling training
- Pre-Vocational training
- Farm training
TRANSITION PLANNING FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Life is never stagnant, we are all transitioning from one world to another. For the special needs child, “Transition” has a very specific meaning. If the child is identified as intellectually disabled – a transition plan helps to plan for the child’s need till he /she becomes an adult. Planning should be started before the age of 16.
Sristi offers transition services to the special children aged between 3 and 16 years. It includes Training, Education, Employment, and Independent living skills. The management will report to the parents on the progress of the members/students meeting the transition goals. We ensure that not only these children will be able to function as adults in the real world but also to strengthen their desires and dreams for a fulfilling life.
FOR SRISTI ADULT LIVING RESIDENTIAL HOME (SRISTI VILLAGE)
Sristi Village is an inclusive self-sustaining and eco-friendly community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, learn, work, and generate income to lead an independent, purposeful, and meaningful life.
- Once the application process is complete, the member will be temporarily admitted to the village for 7 to 10 days of observation. They will be monitored by our professional team whether they can adapt to our community or not
- The observation period may increase depending on the person and on the approval of the other community members.
- After 10 days, an interview will be conducted and it has to be attended by the member, both the parents, siblings, local guardian.
- Based on whether the member will be able to adapt to our community, admission will be provided as a permanent member.
- If, by any chance, we realise that, the member cannot be able to adapt to our community, we’ll guide you and help you find a better organisation or place based on the observations we made.
TRAINING PERIOD
There will be three years training period which is mainly based on farming. We use farming as a tool to change the collective mindset of disability. During the training period, the main aim is to train the member in the field of adult independent living skills, social skills, handling of farming tools and to be self-reliant and self-determinant.
AFTER TRAINING PERIOD
Once they learn to live independently, if they choose to work outside then Sristi will help them to find a suitable job.
If they are willing, they can stay in Sristi as a permanent member and serve the people who are undergoing the farm training.
Sristi management will decide whether to make a member in the community as a permanent resident or not.
GENERAL RULES
- Every 2nd and 3rd Sunday, parents can call their children in between 2 PM and 4 PM.
- Every month 3rd Sunday “Family Day” will be conducted. On that day we celebrate the birthday of all those who are born in that particular month. Parents can come, visit their children, cook food for the whole community, interact with the staff members, and can come to know the lifestyle of their children at Sristi.
- During the training period, parents are not encouraged to make regular phone calls to their children. In case of emergency, they can contact the management.
- We are maintaining a parents group through WhatsApp where parents can stay updated on their child’s day to day activities and unwanted information or communication should not be shared.
MORE INFORMATION
- The member induction manual for information about requirements and applying
- List of Expectations for Sristi Village Members
- Sristi Policies for Staff
- Detailed Sristi Policies