International Activities
International Navigation Menu
PACER Collaboration with Spastics Society of Karnataka (SSK)
The Spastics Society of Karnataka (SSK) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the welfare of persons with neuromuscular and developmental disabilities. The vision and mission of the SSK is inclusion. Situated at Indira Nagar, Bangalore, India, the SSK provides a comprehensive package of diagnostic and intervention services to persons with cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, multiple disabilities and learning disabilities.
Having started in the year 1982 as a special school for children with cerebral palsy, it has now extended its services to all children with neuromuscular and developmental disabilities. The SSK has classrooms for all children, including those at risk and children without disabilities. For more details on the services please look up www.spasticssocietyofkarnataka.org.
Our Leadership
The Spastics Society of Karnataka is led by Mrs. Rukmini Krishnaswamy, Hon. Director. Mrs. Krishnaswamy is a Developmental Psychologist with an M.S. in Child Development and Early Childhood Education from Harvard and an M.Ed. in Special Education from Boston University, USA. She has led the SSK to its present comprehensive potential in disability rehabilitation.
Dr. M.S. Mahadeviah, Pediatric Developmental Neurologist, Diplomate, American Board of Pediatrics, Professor and Head of Pediatrics, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore, and President, Indian Academy of Cerebral Palsy, is the Hon. Medical Director of the Spastics Society of Karnataka. He is also the visiting consultant, who begins the diagnostic process for persons with neuromuscular and developmental disabilities.
Services at SSK
The comprehensive set of services that the SSK offers includes: Pediatric Developmental Neurology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, ENT, Dental, Epileptology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatric Diagnosis; and interventions with a cohesive set of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, music therapy and special education for children diagnosed with neuromuscular and developmental disabilities. This multidisciplinary team is well supported by a team of social workers who provide family support services, which enhance the rehabilitation process by enhancing parent participation through individual counseling and parent groups. The SSK has also been the nurturing ground for the Parents Association of Persons with Cerebral Palsy, PAPCP, which has now come into its own at Bangalore.
The Centre for Special Education
The Centre for Special Education at the SSK offers special education in combination with appropriate therapy services to children identified with neuromuscular and developmental disabilities. Special education services include early intervention, formal and non-formal education, respite care and vocational courses.
Services for Children with Learning Disabilities
The Education Department, providing services to children with learning disabilities has for the past many years, been relentlessly sensitizing schools in Bangalore, and has helped set up many resource units in many mainstream schools. The department conducts assessments to identify learning concerns and provides remediation and remedial planning.
Placement
The SSK puts constant effort toward finding appropriate solutions to help youth move towards as much economic independence as possible. In this endeavor, the SSK has placed many individuals in various jobs.
Human Resource Development and Training
The SSK has, for the past six years, also been into nurturing manpower in the field of rehabilitation services. The Human Resource Department conducts diploma and post graduate diploma courses recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India and the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan with respect to Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Learning Disabilities and Early Childhood Care and Education.
Community Outreach Activities
During its tenure as the State Nodal Agency Centre for Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, under the aegis of the National Trust for the above Disabilities, under the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment, the SSK has reached out to many remote areas of Karnataka, beginning small centers in these areas that cater to the needs of persons with disabilities. SSK extends its services not only at its urban Indira Nagar Centre in Bangalore, but also at 16 outreach centers all over Bangalore, covering Village and Urban slums.
Other Associations of SSK
The SSK is also actively associated with the newly begun Autism Association of India.
Overview of Services Provided by SSK till date
Currently the SSK caters to approximately 1300 new children each year. To date the SSK has provided services to about 12,000 children with neuromuscular and developmental disabilities.
Bringing Technology to SSK
The SSK moved to the era of technology with the advent of the digitalization of its patient records, in the year 2006. This was made possible with donations of hardware and office automation systems by IBM Daksh, under a project by Dhwani Foundation.
Assistive Technology
Soon after this, the alliance with PACER Center in Minneapolis, MN, USA has led us on the road to bringing technology into the rehabilitation services.
Our recent growth has occurred with PACER identifying us as an agency to bring assistive technology to the aid of persons with disabilities in India. The newly equipped Assistive Technology Centre was inaugurated the 13th of September 2008.
The SSK wishes to place on record its thanks to PACER for making us its partner in the assistive technology movement. No technology would work without the basic hardware. We thank IBM for equipping SSK’s Assistive Technology Centre with 11 computers for the growth and development of assistive technology in India. The SSK also wishes to place on record its sincere thanks to all the vendors who have generously donated assistive technology material. For a detailed list of vendors please look up http://sskassistivetechnology.wetpaint.com/?t=anon.
The vision and mission of the SSK is inclusion.
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require