Overview
Founded in 1985, Tamana is a non-profit voluntary organisation and the first institution to recognise autism as a disability distinct from others. It is India’s first rehabilitation and research center for autistic individuals. Tamana Autism Centre - School of Hope, New Delhi was established with the purpose of helping the cause of the cognitively impaired, the intellectually challenged, and the autistic individual.
On August 19, 2003, Late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former president of India, inaugurated Autism Centre-Tamana, a schoolfully dedicated to the autistic.
Campus
The centre hosts a Apna Fan Club which providesa platform for social interaction for intellectually challenged adults and adolescents.The club offere facilities for sports, excursions, trekking, library, T.V. room, creative arts, dance and movements, computer skills and yoga. The centre also provides ECI (Early Intervention Centre), diagnostic centre, and a boys' hostel.
Accomodation
The school hosts a residential centre which provides temporary residential facility to a family facing any crisis and helps for a constructive recreation time and enhances social interaction with others.
Academics
The centre offers a life centred approach to curriculum planning to meet the needs of the child and the family.
The curriculum broadly covers thefollowing areas:
Pre-academic stimulation:Activities in this curricular area include play, music and crafts. It encourages the child to participate in things that bring out his hidden feelings and talent. It also creates a suitable and informal atmosphere for learning.
Functional Academics:This curricular area includes activities such as functional reading, writing, practical math, money and time concept.
Formal Education through NIOS:The high functioning students are taught formal academics by following the National Open School Programme.
Environmental Education: The students learn throughnature, and physical sciences.
Extra-curricular activities are planned to create awareness of preserving the environment. Topics such as Save the Earth, Save Water, Save Electricity, Do not use Plastic Bags etc are discussed regularly.
Activities of Daily Living: Activities in this curricular area include eating, dressing and maintaining hygiene. The child learns the basic etiquettes and mannerism to interact with the society with more confidence.
Physical Development:Stimulation for physical growth and development is provided through yoga and sports. Sports include indoor and outdoor games. Students get training in skating, badminton, athletics, cricket, bocce, basketball.
Swimming: The children also learn swimming which is not only therapeutic for persons with special needs but also a fun activity.
Mobility skills development:It involves field trips, films, supportive classroom activities which encourage the child to actually interact with the society and participate in events which have scope for such interaction.
Computer Application
Admission
The school admits children aged 2 years and above with severe needs including autistic spectrum disorders and multiple disabilities and children (2.5-6 years) with denied opportunities, children ready for schooling, working children, children who never attended school and street children with special emphasis on girls.
Admission is based on the basis of chronological readiness for school.
Fees
Please contact the school for information on fees.
Achievements
One of the first Special Schools in India, "Tamana Special School" was started by Tamana to provide special education to the mentally challenged and those with multiple disability at a time when special education services were non-existent in India.
Tamana Autism Centre — School of Hope, Delhi has been ranked asIndia’s No. 1 Special Need School by the EducationWorld magazine in annual India School Rankings 2015.