Background of the organization:
According to WHO statistics, disabled people account for
approximately 10% of the population of Bangladesh, and included among
them are a large number of children. It is estimated that as many as
three percent of children below 5 years of age and 5 percent of children
below 10 years are affected by disability.
Disability has may causes, the most common of which in Bangladesh are
lack of maternal education, poor maternal services and pregnancy
monitoring, poverty and malnutrition. All too often, disabled children
are neglected by society and deprived of opportunity. Very few of them
receive any sort of education, either in special schemes or in
mainstream schools. Even fewer have the chance to continue their studies
beyond the primary level. Despite the increasing number of people with
disabilities, there exists, as yet, only a handful of organisations
working for the welfare of children with special needs. The serious
inadequacy of facilities continues to compound the misery of those
parents whose children require extra care and attention.
In response to this need, a few parents, social workers and
philanthropists got together in 2003 and established the Tauri
Foundation with the purpose of providing services for children with
disabilities. Amongst those who made it happen is a mother who
reoriented her own education so that she might pursue a relevant degree
from the National University. Also, a father who committed his
hard-earned income so that his daughter, and others like her, might one
day claim their rightful place in society. The founders of Tauri
Foundation believe that all children have an equal right to enjoy social
facilities and to contribute to the socio-economic activities of the
nation To this end, they established the School for Gifted Children, a
special needs school at Lalmatia in Dhaka which has proved to be a real
labour of love. It started with only 14 pupils, but the number has
gradually increased, and today there are as many as 33. This year too,
in order to meet the tremendous needs for such services, the Tauri
Foundation has opened another school, with 8 students, at Rajshahi.
Vision: A child friendly, Rights based inclusive society, Free of Abuse,
Exploitation, Discrimination, for all children irrespective of Religion,
Ethnicity, Socio-economic status, gender and Disability.
Mission: The Tauri Foundation, founded in October 2003, is a non profit
children's organisation working to ensure a healthy, just and
sustainable future for all children in Bangladesh. Tauri's primary
mission is to foster collaborative initiatives in Bangladesh across all
sectors so as to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the various
determinants that can undermine the health of children both now and in
the future.
To support this mission, Tauri is committed to:
1.
Establishing long-term partnerships and strategic
initiatives with diverse sectors and organisations to help build
a more effective and collaborative health movement;
2.
Working with parents to educate them about known and
suspected links between pre-peri-post natal mishandling,
malnutrition, and environmental pollutants which can cause
various health problems for the children; and
3.
Supporting policies and actions that are based on
preventative and precautionary practices to ensure children's
pre-peri-post natal issues are better handled, and also to
ensure that their susceptibility to nutritional and
environmental exposure is adequately addressed.
Program Activities:
The programme of the Tauri Foundation includes special education,
therapeutic support, employment oriented training, distance training
programme, parents training, organizational capacity building and
counselling. The School for Gifted Children, a special needs school, is one
of the major projects of the Tauri Foundation. It has two branches one is in
Dhaka and another one is in Rajshahi. The aim of the school is to enhance
the schooling of children with special needs, to raise awareness and to work
to establish the rights of disabled children in the community. To achieve
these objectives, it is planned to implement a set of activities. Further
details of these activities together with the achievements of the reporting
year are provided below.
Extensive Professional Assessment:
The Tauri Foundation has a dedicated assessment team led by a qualified
therapist and special needs teacher. Each child is assessed with his or her
parents or carers and particular attention is paid to occupational issues,
physical and speech problems and deformities. Following this assessment, the
Team sets a goal-plan for each child and develops an individual IEP which
includes life skills training, behavioural modification and therapeutic
support.
School for Gifted Children (SGC):
The right to an elementary education is universally recognised and accepted
as a basic human right. In Bangladesh, mainstream schools have neither
facilities, accessibility, nor the expertise to enable disabled children to
attend. Due to the lack of a proper initiative, not only the child, but also
the country, will be affected in long-run. As a result, the skills and
potential of disabled children are unfulfilled, and in most cases disabled
children grow up to be considered as a burden on society unable to
participate in the development of their community or the nation as a whole.
At the present time, the Tauri Foundation operates two special needs
schools, one at its head office in Lalmatia, Dhaka and the other in Rajshahi.
When it was started in January 2003, the School for Gifted children in Dhaka
had only fourteen students, but this number has gradually increased to 35.
The school provides regular schooling for physically, mentally and socially
challenged children. It follows an effective and appropriate curriculum, and
the teachers design a goal plan for each student depend upon individual
needs and abilities. In addition to academic activities, the children
receive therapeutic and psychological support which helps them to develop
organised behaviour so that they can function in daily life activities. The
children also enjoy various other co-curricular activities such as sports,
games and storytelling as well as a programme of picnics and outings. A
multidisciplinary staff team, which includes therapists, special needs
teachers and psychologists, ensures the creation of an atmosphere most
favourable to the development and education of children.
School time: 9.00 am - 1.00 pm
Student’s age : From 3 to 15 years
No. of students enrolled
Dhaka Branch
Rajshahi Branch
Type of student
Male child
Female child
Total
Male child
Female child
Total
Mentally challenged
02
02
04
01
00
01
Physically challenged
02
04
06
00
00
00
Autism
13
03
16
06
01
07
Others
03
04
07
00
00
00
Total
20
13
33
07
01
08
School Activities: The detailed school
activities include daily assembly, one to one cognitive and skills training
programme, group activity, therapeutic services, counselling, mainstream
education lessons, vocational training, games and role-play.
The special educational program is based on;
01.
Applied Behavioural Analysis (Performing an activity in simple
steps within structured environment to facilitate the expected part
of the activity by using behavioural modification principals)
02.
Picture Exchange Communication System (teaching & establishing
communication by using structured photographs or images).
03.
Sensory Integration (facilitating the central nervous
system/higher centres in order to organise thinking & perceptual
ability by using different sensory input e.g. vibration, texture,
movement related sensations).
04.
Neuro-developmental therapy NDT (following normal developmental
milestone, facilitating and inhibiting abnormal muscle tone for
learning movement appropriately) Proprioceptive Neuromuscular
Facilitation PNF is key to the practice of Occupational therapy
interventions. The approaches are combined e.g. bio-mechanical,
rehabilitative, Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR). The model used
is the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance (CMOP).
In addition to education, the children
receive the following therapeutic and medical support:
●
Occupational Therapy
●
Speech Therapy
●
Psychological Assessment & counselling
●
Parents / Carer training & counselling
●
Medical Check-up
●
Dental check-up
One to One Activity: To teach specific daily life-skill activities (e.g.
dressing, toileting, grooming, eating, school work and play) to the severely
challenged children.
Method: Applied Behavioural Analysis - a series of very simple steps of an
activity are taught in this session, for example: give and take ability,
attention persisting, oral-motor exercises, drawing and writing ability and
communication ability etc.
For children with a lesser degree of disability, mainstream education is
pursued with the help of special educational props and books. These children
will eventually be mainstreamed into conventional schools.
Group Activity: Method: Open semi-structured group. (music, painting, sand play, water play
etc.)
Potential outcomes: The child should be able to learn basic social rules,
able to express emotion. He/she should have boosted verbal or non-verbal
communication, increased ability to interact dynamically and increased
ability to cope within a group.
Therapeutic Service:
Includes a detail assessment, treatment planning, implementation and
evaluation. This service is specifically designed to teach the individual
positive behaviour, to reduce unexpected behaviour (temper tantrums or
hitting others, self-injury, etc), and to facilitate an improved attention
span at the optimum level in which the child can function.
Main Activities:
The provision of a sensory diet (proprioceptive, vestibular and tactile
input) in a structured manner, carefully checking the required input needed
for the autistic child. Provision of NDT & rehabilitative advice for the
physically challenged individuals. In addition, parent counselling and
educating with regard to the home therapy programme is essential.
Potential Outcomes:
Individuals with autistic features will be able to:
Organize better (able to discriminate different stimulation
coming from environment)
●
Retain attention at an optimum level
●
Improve academic skills
●
Learn daily living activities
●
Produce speech gradually and develop better communication either
verbally or non-verbally
Individuals who are physically challenged, will be
able to perform:
●
Motor movement in the normal anatomical way
●
Improved hand function
●
Sitting and standing with or without support
●
Other daily living activities at a functional level
In addition, in order to maintain a high standard and good synchronization
between the home and school programmes, Occupational Therapists train and
co-ordinate all those involved with the individual child both at school and
at home.
Parent counselling:
Both psycho-social and rehabilitative approaches are employed.
Potential outcomes:
Parents who did not have any previous understanding of disability and its
prognosis, and who were thus liable to frustration: these patents get
benefit from discussing specific matters with the therapist. At least they
now know the limitations and can plan for their child accordingly. By
talking with other parents in the group, they also become more confident and
can improve on their coping skills. As a result, the structured programme
recommended by the school is maintained in more or less the same manner both
at school and at home. This is very important for rehabilitation purposes.
Speech Therapy:
Speech Assessments are performed in order to discover speech related
problems. Dependant upon the problem, Speech Therapists can then advise
parents to administer prescribed programmes both at school and at home.
Psychological Service:
Before preparing a comprehensive programme, the each child undergoes a
psychological assessment in order to determine their IQ level and to arrive
at a diagnosis of any related psychological conditions.
Home Visit:
Home visits are an important activity of the Tauri Foundation. The teachers
and therapists visit children’s homes and assess the home environment. They
advise parents if any modification is needed, and also counsel other members
of the family in order to create a conducive environment for the proper
development of the child.
Dental check -up:
The Tauri Foundation arranges yearly dental check-ups with the assistance of
qualified dentists. This year Dr. B.A. K Azad, Asst. Professor (Prosthodontics)
of Dhaka Dental College & Hospital, provided dental treatment to every
student.
Therapeutic Service:
The school provides therapeutic treatment for children with disability,
along with family education. Both physiotherapy and occupational therapy are
given to children, with the aim of maximising each child's potential for
independence in everyday living. The intervention includes development of
skills of ADL, productivity and leisure. Physiotherapy, involves detailed
assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation. aims at
achieving the maximum potential of movement, reducing spasticity and
improving static and dynamic balance. Occupational therapy, on the other
hand, aims is to teach the individual positive behaviour, to reduce
unexpected behaviour (temper tantrum or hitting others, self-injury, etc)
and to raise the attention span to an optimum level so that the child can
function in a given activity. The therapist focuses on simple activities
(using games, toys and household equipment), so that the children can
continue the exercises at home. The families are given home programmes which
they can undertake with the children themselves.
Integration into the mainstream school:
Afia Kabir Anila has been integrated into mainstream education this year.
She is studying at the British Standard School, an English medium school in
Dhaka. Her physical, mental and behavioural difficulties improved
significantly while she was at the School for Gifted Children, and it was
this which enabled her to gain admission into mainstream school. Her
behavioural problems have become far less severe, and she can now cope
sufficiently well to be able to study alongside able-bodied children. Her
hand function has also improved, and she can hold the pencil.
Daily life skills training (ADL):
Daily life skills training is provided to help children cope with day-to-day
activities, and to enable them to attend to their personal needs without
assistance. The main aim of ADL is to reduce the child’s dependency on
others. It is an effective training process for mentally challenged
children. During the current reporting year, most of the children have
succeeded in improving their ability to undertake the tasks of daily living.
Parents counselling, workshop and meeting:
Although the role of parents remains indispensable to a child's welfare,
most parents are unaware of the best way to handle a disabled child. In
order to motivate parents and change negative attitudes, Tauri provides
counselling, and arranges workshops and parents meetings. Counselling is a
learning oriented process carried out on a one to one basis. If a child is
to be helped to develop to their full potential, it is vital to help parents
understand the problems as well as to change negative attitudes and
prejudices.
Workshop participation:
Members of both the Tauri Foundation and the School for Gifted children
participated in the following workshops and training programmes organised by
different organisations.
Care Giver's training:
Our culture is to some extent dependent on the carers who look after the
child for the greater part of each day. It is therefore very important for
the carers to know how to handle and behave with the child. Teachers and
therapists at the Tauri Foundation conduct daylong training sessions for
caregivers. A total of 50 of these training sessions were held during the
current reporting year.
Human Resources Plan:
The Tauri Foundation has a Human Resources Plan which forecasts staff
requirement and organises training and exposure visits to similar
organisations. In addition, the Human Resources Plan caters for the
professional development of each staff member in order that his or her
performance may be maximised. This includes in-service training, national
and international training and attendance at conferences and seminars
organised by both the Tauri Foundation and other organisations. In this way,
the Tauri Foundation is able to introduce new ideas or techniques beneficial
to the further development of the organisation.
Staff training and workshops:
The Tauri Foundation provides in-house training and also releases staff to
participate in training courses organised locally. As well as this, some
staff members have gone to India on short training courses designed to
further develop their skills and efficiency.
Deaf and Blind International Asian Conference held at BIAM:
Mrs. Marufa Hossain, General Secretary, attended the Deaf and Blind
International Asian Conference held at BIAM auditorium from January 29th to
31st January. The National Forum of Organisations Working for Disabled
(NFOWD) and Deafblind International jointly organised this conference. A
total of 200 delegates from different countries participated. The main theme
of the conference was “Deafblindness-Breaking Barriers in Asia”.
Orientation on Disability:
A daylong orientation on disability was held on 24th May 2006. Professor
Nazmul Haque of Dhaka University was the facilitator. A total of 45 parents
and staff members participated in this orientation training on disability.
Different types disability, the causes of disability and how to handle
disabled children were amongst the subjects discussed.
Workshop on Autistic Spectrum Disorder:
Ms. Syeda Sohelia Afrus and Ms. Taslima Akter, special needs teachers,
attended a 3 day workshop on Autism Spectrum Disorder which was held from
4th to 6th December 2006 in India. The Autism Society of West Bengal
organised this three-day workshop for parents and professionals, and it was
conducted by Action for Autism (New Delhi, India). The purpose of the
workshop was to create a better understanding of autism, and an appreciation
of what life is like for those who suffer from the disorder. The workshop
focused on the management of difficult behaviours and on developing social
and leisure skills. The main speakers were Ms. Merry Barua (Director Action
for Autism, New Delhi and Ms. Indu Chaswal (Director of Education, AFA New
Delhi).
Workshop on Childhood Disability:
Mrs. Marufa Hossain, General Secretary, attended a four day training course
organised by the Bangladesh Protibondi Foundation and held at the Planning
Commission in Dhaka from 17th to 21st November.
Introduction to Occupational Therapy:
A daylong workshop entitled ‘An Introduction to Occupational Therapy’ was
held at the head office of The Tauri Foundation in Lalmatia. Teachers and
staff members attended the workshop.
Wheelchair Mobility Training:
A one-day training course on wheelchair mobility was held on the 28th May.
It was conducted by Mahamudur Rahman, Occupational Therapist of the Tauri
Foundation. All teachers and staff members attended.
Teachers Skill Development Training:
Mrs. Marufa Hossain conducted a training from 9th to 12th March entitled
‘Teachers Skills Development’. All the teachers, from both the Dhaka and
Rajshahi schools attended this training course.
Biwako Millennium Seminar:
On 24th June, Mrs. Marufa Hossain attended a seminar entitled ‘Biwako
Millennium’. This Seminar was organised by the National Forum of
Organisations Working with the Disabled.
Outdoor activities:
Many parents feel unable to take their disabled child outside the home to
public functions and other places. Sometimes this is because they think that
the child’s disability might reduce their own social status. In order to
change negative attitudes amongst parents, the school organises outdoor
activities for the children’s recreation, and to enhance their
socialization. Outings give the child an opportunity to learn and experience
many things that they would not normally encounter within their home school
environment. In the current reporting year, children visited a wide variety
of prestigious and educational places. They much enjoyed, not only the
actual locations, but also the travelling, and delicious food offered to
them.
XindianChinese Restaurant:
In August 2006, students went the Xinadian Chinese Restaurant in Dhanmondi
where they enjoyed the delicious Chinese food. The managers of the
restaurant welcomed the children and presented flowers to them all.
Annual Picnic:
The school organised the annual picnic in Gazipur. The children took part in
various sports activities, and had the chance to take pictures. There was
also singing and dancing. The many parents who attended enjoyed the
opportunity to have a picnic with their children.
National Disability Day observed:
The Tarui Foundation joined with the National Forum for Organisations
Working for Disabled (NFOWD) in order to observe the National Disability Day
on 5th April. As part of the programme a rally and discussion session were
organised.
Celebration of Ekusey in February:
In February, the children of the School for Gifted School observed Ekusey,
the national mother language day. They paid respect to the martyrs at the
National Shaheed Minar.
Package Program:
There now exist a number of facilities for physically and mentally disabled
children in Dhaka, but such facilities are almost absent in the rest of the
divisional and district towns. As a result, children in these areas do not
have the opportunity to enrol in a special needs school for regular
education. In view of this, the Tauri Foundation started a package programme
in 2005 aimed at meeting the needs of children who live outside Dhaka. The
major activities offered are assessment, the designing of individual
programmes, parent training and follow-up. This year 56 children have been
given support under this scheme.
Types
Male
Female
Total
Autism
27
12
39
ADHD
01
00
01
Downs Syndrome
00
01
01
Cerebral Palsy
09
03
12
Developmental & Speech Delay
01
01
02
Sensory Functional Disorder
00
01
01
Total
38
18
56
Profile of Farhan,
Farhan is a ten year old boy who comes from Mohammadpur in Dhaka City. His
father, having retired from the army, is now in business. His mother is a
housewife. Farhan suffers from Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The cause
of his autism is still unknown, although his mother thinks her son’s may
have been injured when he was two months old. He came to the School for
Gifted children in 2004. At that time, he had lot of problems. He could not
play with other children, had difficult behaviour, was restless, did not
make eye contact and had low cognitive ability. In order to help him, the
following methodology was employed;
One to one
Picture exchange communication system
Neuro development therapy
American Behavioural Analysis (ABA)
Speech therapy
Physiotherapy
Occupational therapy
Farhan is now greatly improved. His eye contact has increased. He can play
with other normal bodied children. His communication skills are improved,
and he can use full sentences in his speech.
Income generation:
Income generation means developing, or participating in, some form of
commercial enterprise with the intention of making a profit. The profits are
then used to support the main work of the organisation. The vocational
training of students involves a number of activities suitable for this
purpose. The items produced are sold to the parents, local shops and
exhibitions. The organisation plans to increase this area of activity in the
future.
Fundraising:
Fundraising is an extremely important component of an organisation's
success. Since its inception, the Tauri Foundation has struggled to cope
with insufficient funds to run the organisation in the desired manner.
Additional money must be raised to meet the challenges of the future, which
should include the development of existing work as well as expansion. The
Organisation considers that fundraising is not simply about generating the
resources needed for survival. Sufficient funds must also be raised for
expansion and development. The Tauri Foundation believes that an appropriate
fundraising strategy helps to create a viable and strong organisation which
is able to sustain itself well into the future. With this in view, the Tauri
Foundation plans to strengthen its fundraising and promotional activities in
order to raise funds for greater sustainability. The Tauri Foundation still
depends heavily on its original sources of funding: contributions from local
philanthropists and companies. In the future, the Foundation hopes to raise
additional funds from the following sources:
- Support from individuals
- Support from fundraising events
- Support from individuals giving their time
- Gifts in kind, logistical support etc.
- Grants from charity organisations like rotary clubs, lions clubs etc.
- Grants from international or national donor agencies
- Support from business organisations/corporate
In the current reporting year, the Tauri Foundation has received donations
from Grameen Phone, REHAB, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Partex Group, OTOBI, Swan
Group, Sonargoan Health Care Pvt. Ltd. and many individual donors. The Tauri
Foundation gratefully acknowledges the help of all these contributors and
looks forward to their continuing support in the future.
Visitors from Norway:
Mr. Oddleif Haaverstad, Speech Therapist, Ms. Oshild Jakobsen and Ms. Berit
Smith, Special Educators, visited the Tauri Foundation centres in both Dhaka
and Rajshahi. The Norwegian visitors were impressed to see the services of
Tauri Foundation for children with disabilities. They attended parents and
teachers’ meetings and shared their ideas and views.
Special Events
Baishaki Mela (Fair):
As part of the celebration of Pahela Baisakh, 1st Bengali month, the
students organised a fair at the school campus. They put on Bangladeshi
dress, such as panjabi, paijama, and sharee, and painted their faces as is
the Bangladeshi culture. They participated in singing and dancing, and also
sold greetings cards to the visiting parents.
Film show:
The children watched a film entitled “The Vanishing Arts of Society” which
was screened on the school campus. This was an educational film and the
students much enjoyed it. The show was kindly arranged by an NGO in
conjunction with the Iranian Cultural Centre.
Immunisation:
The Tauri Foundation immunised the children against measles in line with the
national immunisation programme.
Rajshahi Branch Opening:
On 16th January 2006, the Tauri Foundation arranged anopening ceremony for
its new branch in Rajshahi. Mr.Mizanur Rahman Minu, the Honourable Mayor of
Rajshahi City Corporation, was the chief guest, and the Deputy Director of
the Social Services Department, Mr. Aftab Uddin Sheikh, and the Vice
President of Rajshai Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Hasen, both spoke as special
guests. The opening ceremony was presided over Mr. Ashfaque-ul- Kabir,
Chairman of The Tauri Foundation. Mrs. Marufa Hossain, Executive Director of
the Organization, gave a welcome speech.
Management of the Organisation:
The Tarui Foundation believes in participatory management for both policy
and decision-making. The Executive Committee is the supreme authority with
power to execute the development projects, and of intervention on
expansions. The meeting of the executive body is regularly held, and the
members are dedicated and well briefed. One of the main roles of the
Management Board is to ensure that the organisation has sufficient resources
to carry out its work. Members of the Board also oversee the development
priorities, agreeing plans, monitoring progress and steering the
Organisation through good and bad times. Currently, the Organisation's
General Secretary acts as the Executive Director and holds responsibility
for the performance of all activities in accordance with the Plan. All the
staff members of The Tauri Foundation are professional and qualified in
their respective fields. They work as a team and are accountable to each
other.
Further, Tauri Foundation also has a five member local and overseas advisory
board .
Executive Committee
Name
Status
01.
Dr. Kazi Shabbir Anwar
Chairperson
02.
Ms. Marufa Hossain
General Secretary
03.
Mr.Ansaruddin Ahmed
Treasurer
04.
Mr.Hasinul Islam
Member
05.
Dr.Ayesha Hossain Hashamee
Member
06.
Mr.Syed Azizul Karim
Member
07.
Ms.Fahima Samad
Member
Advisory Board
Name
Details
01.
Prof. P.C.Sarker
Professor Department of Social Work
University of Rajshahi
02.
Prof.Nazmul Haque
Prof. IER
University of Dhaka
03.
Dr.Shaheen Akter
Child specialist
Asst.Prof. BSMMU , Dhaka
04.
Dr.Mahmud Hassan
Associate Professor
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore
Integration Mainstream 
