If you have an autistic child and fear that they might not 'feel’ normal out in the world, don't worry, the OLR Special School in Madurai will definitely make them feel as normal as everyone else, yet treat them as special as they truly are. Beyond therapy, the teachers at this school along with the parents are creating wonders in helping these children deal with their disability. But how?
To find out more about the school, we reached out to the school's founder Mary Bhuvana Rani. The moment we meet her, it becomes clear where the love and affection the children receive comes from. "This wouldn't be possible for us without their parents," says the humble soul. With around 35 students in this school, they are trained in group and individual sessions.Apart from education, the kids also get trained in extracurricular activities like yoga, skating and cooking too.
So, how do people hear about this school? People come to hear about this school that is located in Vandiyur, Stella Nagar (outskirts of Madurai), only through happy parents whose kids have studied there, before moving on to private schools. "People who have heard about us through word of mouth usually co-operate very well with the training as they are aware of the results we produce," says Mary and adds, "When new parents approach us for training, half of them doesn't agree with our first condition, which is that parents too must come along with their kids to the classes."
The Principal finds that it is necessary that parents understand that results cannot be produced overnight. It takes months of observation to begin with. And even for the kids to understand the new environment and get along with others around them is quite a daunting task. According to Mary, the earlier their disability is identified, the better their training will be to help them overcome their difficulties.
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But why should parents come along? “Sometimes, we happen to see kids coming angrily to school in the morning. As we teachers spend only half a day with them, only their parents can understand and figure out the reason behind this,” says Mary. At OLR, teachers sit along with the parents to talk to the kids to figure out the problem. The smallest things like not getting their favourite chocolate can cause an autistic child to have an emotional outburst.
But rather than indulge them, the teachers give these kids tasks and on completion, they are rewarded with their favourite thing. “Be it normal kids or special kids, there is one common thing that they both share that will help you form a bond with them, and that is 'reward’. Yes, you should always encourage them, motivate them after they complete tasks. It helps a lot!” explains Mary.
Usually, autistic children find it difficult to get along with others and make eye contact. To help them overcome this, the teachers make it a practice to take them to temples, shops, bakeries and even theatres. “Before going to these places, we ensure that we give them all the details about the place so that they feel comfortable and most importantly so that they trust what we are saying. It is also important that we take them to these places and return as soon as possible, without making changes to the plan.
Our visit to the theatre was the happiest moment for us. It was a three-day process. The first two days we took them to just see their reaction and on the third day, we got all 35 children to watch a 3D movie without disturbing others,” recalls the Principal, happily. The people in Madurai have also helped them a lot, from the shop owners on Anna Nagar Main Road to the owner of Ambika Theatre, who provide the kids with free food and movie tickets. Talk about community helping!
