In my more than three year long association with Starlit (earlier KNACK) services, I have found them to be a very unique organization, working with a sense of commitment and zeal in their chosen field of work. And that is, providing all round curricular and extra curricular support for bringing out the best in children of all varieties of varying capabilities. They are , without doubt, doing an outstanding job in this field.
This is probably the only well organized network of professionals in the country who offer a planned, systematic and comprehensive approach to shadow teaching, a most important aspect for mainstreaming of a children with special needs. The entire organisation is dedicated to getting the best out of the child they take responsibility of, and the dedicated professionals – be it shadow teachers/ counselors/psychologists/ home tutors etc work as a well knit team.
I see the professionals highly sensitized to the capabilities of the special children they work with. They see the ability, not the disability, and always manage to reassure the family they work with that the child they are working with has capabilities- it’s only a systematic approach that is needed to bring out the best in the child. This, I feel , is their most important contribution in sensitizing the schools and the environment they work in, and it will go a long way in positive social inclusion of individuals with special needs in a healthy society.
The methodology adopted fosters independence and most importantly, confidence in the child they work with, doing wonders to the child’s self-esteem- a most crucial requirement for cognitive growth and fulfilling life for any individual.
I wish that Starlit expands itself to other parts of the country too as there is a huge need for this professional approach in the area of inclusion of special needs children as well as individuals, and Starlit have the right approach in this subject