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Achievements
of IEI |
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In IEI, nearly 60 children are
receiving intensive speech language rehabilitation and special
education. In keeping with the primary goal of our institute,
we have integrated seven to nine of our students into normal
schools every year. Some are performing at par, and some at
levels higher than their classmates with normal hearing. We
consider this achievement a result of the sincere efforts of
our speech therapists, special educators and co-operation from
the parents of our children. Over 540 children have benefited
from the services of IEI, large-scale screening programs have
also been launched along with organizations such as Rotary and
Red Cross to identify these children. |
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Birth
of IEI Residential School |
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Though the team at IEI consists
of technically qualified professionals, we are unable to attain
our full potential due to a few lacunae that primarily concern
with infrastructure. We were running the pre-school in the premises
of Vikram Hospital, where we were actually running short of
space. This has a serious impact on the ease with which child
with hearing impairment can listen teacher’s instructions
since the activities of one group acoustically interfere with
other. |
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The
number of parents who are waiting to get the children with
hearing impairment trained at IEI is rapidly increasing. However,
due to shortage of space and necessary infrastructure we are
unable to accommodate several of the children who require
assistance. |
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Since most of our children
who are seeking admission are from rural areas outside Coimbatore,
we have planned for accommodation where the children can stay
along with their mothers. Presence of the mother is crucial
in the rehabilitation as the mother is the best teacher. |
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With this perspective, IEI has
started a residential school in Coimbatore at ponnuthu (Golden
Falls), a picturesque locate at the foothills of the Western
Ghats. This would be a state-of-the-art school, with specially
designed acoustic cabins for teaching. |
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Special
Features of Residential School |
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Ideal small class sizes for highly
individualized education |
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Amplification system with acoustic equipment
/ speakers. |
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Special seating in the classrooms to
promote speech reading |
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Class rooms designed with good acoustics
and reductions of background noise |
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Multimedia theatre with captioned films |
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Library with speech and hearing software |
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Recreational centres |
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Parent – children accommodation |
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IEI has on its agenda, many further
projects for the identification and uplifting of hearing impaired
children. |
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Current
Areas of Activity |
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Early
detection : By infant screening (especially
high risk infants) and deafness detection camps |
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Diagnostic Services |
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Clinical and hearing examination of
any child with a suspected hearing loss |
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Amplification / Cochlear implant-auditory
training |
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Speech therapy by qualified full-time
speech therapists and audiologists |
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Class education with special educators
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Cultural and extra curricular activities
to reduce social and psychological problems |
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Counseling services for children and
parents |
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Preparation for integration with normal
children |
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Mainstream
support program : Continued support to
students who have been main streamed into normal schools |
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Parent-Infant
program : Individualized instruction on
early home based rehabilitation |
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Public
Education Campaigns : Mass awareness propagation
and education on diagnosis and management of deafness
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Sindhuja’s
Story |
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When Sindhuja was a year and
a half, her parents were devastated when they realised that
she was born with no hearing at all. Her father, who had no
speech due to a similar hearing handicap, did not want his daughter
to go through the same trauma and isolation of his silent world.
At age 2, she underwent surgery for a cochlear implant and today
has discovered all the joys and sounds of a normal child. From
having no hearing or speech, her life has changed tremendously
after rehabilitation. She can respond and speak like a normal
child, even have a telephonic conversation, and will not have
any disability, due to this miracle called cochlear implant.
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