Asha Rehabilitation Centre: Office of The State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities

Asha Rehabilitation Centre

Audit of Accounts

'Asha School Fund' account will be audited every quarter by a board of officers detailed by Station Cell, Headquarters 101 Area
'Asha School Fund' account will also be audited by a Chartered Accountant once in a year at the close of financial year.
'Asha School Fund' account will be liable for inspection by the audit team detailed by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

School Timings

Timings for the students and staff will be as under:-

Non Technical Staff - 0830h to 1330h
Technical Staff - 0845h to 1315h
Students - 0900h to 1300h

Admission Criteria for the Students

The admission criteria for the students will be as under:-

The wards of serving or retired service personnel will be given priority over those of para-military personnel, civil defence employees or civilians at the time of admission to the school.
The students should be within the age bracket of 5 - 18 years. However, depending on their physical abilities, mental state and violence quotient, the Executive Committee may consider relaxation on the upper age limit.
Depending on infrastructure availability and the seats available, dependents of civilians may be admitted to the school. However, the admission shall be made strictly on the basis of the approval by the Executive Committee.
Children with the under mentioned disabilities shall be admitted to the school :-
1. Mental Retardation (MR)
2. Multiple Disabilities
3. Hearing Impairment (HI)
4. Orthopedically Handicapped
5. All other disabilities except Visual Impairment
Before the admission the disability of the child should be specified by an authorized medical practitioner
Mother or attendant of a child upto 6 years of age who is unable to sit on his own and who requires constant attendant, may accompany the child to School and give exercises to their own child as guided by the Physiotherapist

Employment of Technical or Non-Technical Staff

To achieve these objectives, the school is authorized 'Technical' as well as 'Non-Technical' Staff as per the provisions contained in Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme. This authorization may be in the ratio of one staff per five students approximately or depending on the profile of disabilities of the children in the School. The guidelines for employment of Technical or Non-technical staff as per Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment is as under :-

Technical Staff
1. One Principal for upto 150 beneficiaries
2. One Trained Teacher : Two Multiple Disability beneficiaries
3. One Trained Teacher : Eight Mentally Retarded (MR) beneficiaries
4. One Trained Teacher : Eight Hearing Impaired beneficiaries
5. One Speech Therapist on part time basis with two mandatory visits per week
6. One Physiotherapist on part time basis with two mandatory visits per week
7. Two Yoga or PT or Music etc Teacher on part time basis with three mandatory visits per week
Non-Technical Staff
1. One Accountant (upto 150 beneficiaries)
2. One Office Assistant cum Typist or Data Entry Operator (upto 150 beneficiaries)
3. One Cook (upto 150 beneficiaries)
4. One cook helper (upto 150 beneficiaries)
5. One Sweeper cum Peon (upto 150 beneficiaries)
6. Ayah or Attendant (1: 15 Mental Retardation beneficiaries, 1 : 50 Hearing Impairement beneficiaries)
Honorarium for the Staff
The amount of honorarium paid to the staff is decided on the basis of the rates specified by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment as well as the amount sanctioned by the Management Committee of the school or Headquarters 101 Area. The honorarium may be revised on an yearly basis.
Selection of Staff
1. The Executive Committee is responsible to carry out the selection and appointment of the school Technical or Non-Technical staff
2. The qualification of the staff should be as per the qualification specified against each post in Para 18 above
3. The staff to be employed will be called for an interview through advertisement published in local dailies
4. The applications will be screened by a Selection Committee appointed by the President of Executive Committee
5. In case the staffs with requisite qualifications in the field of disability are not being found locally, the President, Executive Committee may relax the QR as desired
6. The Technical and Non-Technical staff shall be initially employed on probation for a period of three months and one month respectively, after which they may be considered for the contractual post. A deed of contract or agreement for staff shall be signed by the staff as and when employed
7. The services of staff can be terminated by the Executive Committee by giving one month advance notice. However, the same can also be terminated without serving any notice in respect of the staff who is found guilty on disciplinary grounds
8. The staff may leave the service, at their own discretion, after giving a formal application to the Principal, at least one month in advance, which must be addressed to the President Executive Committee
Case Management Systems
The following procedure is required to be followed by the instructional staff to periodically assess the improvement in performance of the student: -
1. Immediately on grant of admission, the student is assessed by the Special Educator, physiotherapist of the school, Paediatrician as well as the E.N.T. Specialist
2. Mode of selection and board: Case sheet, physical and functional criterion adopted assessment form language and communication assessment form, behavioral assessment form, educational evolution check list, individual programme assessment form and profile sheet. Age Group 5-18 years
3. On the basis of this 'First Assessment', the student is grouped into one of the following five groups based on his or her age ability and severity of problem:-
  1. Play School
  2. Pre School
  3. Pre Vocational Group
  4. Vocational Group
4. Based on the First Assessment, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is prepared by the Special Educator, which primarily covers the requirement of the student on a yearly basis
5. The Individual Education Plan includes long term treatment or intervention for the child to enable him or her to achieve maximum potential
6. Physiotherapy is of extreme importance at early stage to prevent deterioration of muscle and joint movement which may consequently result in distortion of limb and body
7. In Individual Education Plan, three long term goals are set for the children which are further sub-divided into three short term goals each
8. A Functional and Educational Assessment is carried out by the Special Educator, every six months to check the progress of the child
9. Functional Assessment Checklist for Programming (F.A.C.P.) is used by the Special Educator to carry out the assessment of the child
10. To carry out the physical assessment of the child, Physical and Functional Assessment Form prepared by the Spastic Society of Eastern India is used by the school.
Training Focus
The training for each of the five groups is focused differently to achieve the desired results. The focus areas for each group are as mentioned below:-
1. Play School and Pre School Groups. The training for children belonging to these two categories is focused on helping the students acquire simple self help skills, like dressing up, personal grooming, feeding, brushing their teeth etc.
2. Pre Vocational Group. The children belonging to this group are trained on craft work like knitting, flower making, making of greeting cards and wrapping papers etc.
3. Vocational Training. The vocational training is aimed at introducing the children to different vocations like Shawl Weaving, Paper Bag Making, Masala Grinding, Candle Making, embroidery etc to enable them in learning a vocation which can make them self - reliant. Under this training, the items prepared by the students are marketed in the retail outlets of the Family Welfare Organisation (F.W.O.) of 58 Gorkha Training Centre, Headquarters 101 Area and other station units
4. Academics Group. The children of this group learn language, cognitive skills, academics and extra curricular activities in a more structured form like dance, art, craft etc.
Audit of Accounts
1. 'Asha School Fund' account will be audited every quarter by a board of officers detailed by Station Cell, Headquarters 101 Area.
2. 'Asha School Fund' account will also be audited by a Chartered Accountant once in a year at the close of financial year.
3. 'Asha School Fund' account will be liable for inspection by the audit team detailed by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Dissolution Policy
Asha School Shillong has been established under the aegis of Headquarters 101 Area at Happy Valley Shillong as a welfare measure to cater for the requirement of a school for the special children belonging to the defence personnel posted in and around Shillong. At the same time it has also established itself as the only special school being run by the Army in the State of Meghalaya for the wards of many serving soldiers and ex-servicemen of the state. Hence, it is unlikely that the school would be closed down and the assets dissolved. However, in case of an extreme unlikely eventuality, should the Asha School Shillong be dissolved, the movable assets belonging to the School would be relocated, under the orders of Army Welfare Society, Adjutant General's Branch, Integrated Heqadquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), DHQ PO, New Delhi-110011, to be used for a similar school. Under no circumstances, the movable property to include any funds would not go to a Governing Body or any individual.

Serial Number	Cost Items	Qualification passed
1.	Ms. Ipsita Ghosh Principal	M.A B.Ed Special Education (Mental Retardation) Diploma in special education on Mental Retardation from Manovikash Kendra, Kolkata. Rehabilitation Council of India (R.C.I.) (Regd No B-08714) Experience. Four months experience as a volunteer in Monovikash Kendra, Kolkata. Principal of Asha School, Shillong since 29 Jul 03 to till date .
2.	Ms. Magritta Kharmuti Trained Teacher (Spl Educator)	B.Ed (General) B.Ed Special Education (Mental Retardation) Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) Regd Number - A 08263 Experience. Worked as a Teacher from March 1998 - May 2002. Special Educator from June 2002- April 2004 followed by appt of Headmistress from May 2004-Jun 2006 at Mary Rice Centre for Special Education Special Educator at Asha School Shillong since 01 Mar 2007.
3	Ms. Mercy Ranee Trained Graduate Teacher	B.A. ,Diploma in Special Education for the Hearing Impaired . Regd Number B-09501 Experience. Worked as asst teacher for 05 years in Ferrando Speech & Hearing Centre-Uminiuh. Khwan- Barapani (2001-2006)
4.	Ms. Balakordor Bhophang Trained Graduate Teacher	B.A. , Diploma in Special Education on cerebral palsy. Regd Number B17546. One year experience in Dwar Jingkyrmen School (special School) as assistant teacher. Presently working as Assistant teaching in Asha School. Since 16 February 2008
5.	Mr Darless Thubru Physiotherapist (Part time per visit basis with 2 mandatory with per week)	Bachelor of Physiotherapy. Experience. Worked as asst Physio Therapist in Civil Hospital. Presently working as physiotherapist in Asha School. Since 17 March 2008.

Non-teaching Staff

Serial Number	Cost Items	Designation
1.	Ms Daphypatcy Nongkhlaw	Office Assistant/Typist/Accountant
2.	Mr Montu Thapa	Pre – Vocational teacher
3	Ms Kalpana Hajong	Female Attendant/Ayah
4.	Ms Sikha Deb	Female Attendant/Ayah
5.	Mr Iainehskhem Suchiang	Driver
5.	Ms Dimpi Deb	Ex-student employed in school

Conclusion

The guidelines given in this Standard Operating Procedure should be enforced in letter and spirit to ensure smooth and efficient management of the Asha School, Shillong. By doing so we can together make a lot of difference to the lives of specially abled children of Shillong, in particular and of the country in whole.