Children with special needs have chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions. Here is an organization that attempts to help children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down's syndrome, mental retardation and Specific Learning Disabilities.

The V-Excel Educational Trust, a registered non- profit organization was formed in the year 2001 by Dr. Vasudha Prakash and her husband, Prakash Natarajan. V-Excel and its sister concern, Academic Concepts, Inc., a registered 501[(c) (3)] non-profit organization in the state of New Jersey, USA (Tax ID 22-3632715), are committed to providing education-related services and making education accessible to all challenged children.

The V-Excel Educational Trust caters to their needs. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Vasudha Prakash, a clinical psychologist and Founder-Director of the trust, its myriad programs have made a difference to these special people.

At V-Excel, there is the Kaleidoscope Learning Center (KLC) which addresses a wide spectrum of learning and developmental problems. It offers customized training to meet specific needs. The curriculum includes stimulating learning experiences, hands-on activities, and therapies such as speech, occupational, sensory integration and others. There is a high level of interaction between teachers and students, leading to the development of various aspects of the child's personality.

They have an Academy of Teacher Excellence where the mission is to graduate the best teachers, who will tap every child's potential to the maximum, regardless of the child's existing level of functioning. The Academy offers a year-long Diploma program in Special Education. Those who take up the program are trained in the latest methodologies and practices in special education. It also offers short-term courses in various areas of special education and disabilities.

The V-Excel Remedial Center (VRC) is a feeder program for the KLC. It helps students in regular schools cope with the prescribed curriculum. Students are trained to have better study skills and organize themselves better. They are trained on a one-to-one basis. The center helps widen the horizons of students who are gifted and talented, by conducting periodic workshops on creativity and analytic thinking.

Some children are unable to translate what they read or think into writing as they lack fine motor skills. The Bridges Learning Academy is for those children who have specific learning disabilities. These include dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and other related difficulties. When children find the very process of reading, writing or math a big challenge, their school life becomes a nightmare. This division of V-Excel gives them the necessary skills to face school life. Using structured methods of teaching, spelling strategies, decoding and encoding of language, these children are helped to perform better. It also helps the slow learners.

There is an exclusive program for the parents of these children. When children are diagnosed with problems, it is the parents who are affected the most. So to "help them help their children”, Disha, a parent support group was formed. Its main objectives are to let parents know that they are not alone, to explore vocational options for the child, to help them become proactive partners in their child's education program and to understand legal issues about disabilities.

Another program of V-Excel is the implementation of the Indian Government’s initiative called Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) which means education for all. The trust was selected by the Government of Tamil Nadu to implement integrated education for the disabled their students to V-Excel when they have problems coping with their curriculum. Much of V-Excel’s SSA work is done in rural areas and currently covers 9 blocks and about 650 schools. For details, visit www.v-excel.org.

Those who want to help these special children can donate to this non-profit trust and get tax relief under section 80G of the IT act. They can contact Vasudha Prakash at V-Excel Educational Trust, 1, Norton, 2nd Street, Mandaveli, Chennai 28. Phone: 2462 0243. (vasudha@v-excel.org)

In the USA, please contact Prakash Natarajan at Academic Concepts, 1403 Merrywood Drive, Edison, NJ 08817 (prakash@v-excel.org)

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