 From
Society To Institute |
|
|
|
|
|
The
society took the important decision of setting up an “Institute
for Communicative and Cognitive Neurosciences” (ICCONS) in Thiruvananthapuram,
a decision of great significance for the future of all those with
cognitive and communicative disorders in our country. Hon’ able
Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri. E. K. Nayanar formally inaugurated
the establishment of this institute on 2nd October
1998, as an autonomous institute partly supported by the Government
of Kerala.
|
| All
Under One Roof |
|
Presently
housed in a rented building in Ulloor, Thiruvananthapuram, the
institute is running a regular outpatient service with a multidisciplinary
team consisting of neurologists, speech pathologists, clinical
psychologists, sociologists, clinical linguist and special educators,
carefully evaluates each client and gives its recommendations
to the therapist for appropriate rehabilitation program. The
team also monitors periodically the progress of each client.
|
|
Special
School For Special Children
|
| For
the benefit of those children who, because of the speech, language
or learning disability cannot attend a regular school, the institute
runs a special school for them in its premises where they are
taught and trained by teachers, specialized in this field. |
 |
|
Clinic
To Community
|
|
The
philosophy behind the society’s programme is to base its services
in the community, as far as possible, as an integral part of
primary health care service because, it only can offer the hope
of delivering effective rehabilitation service at relatively
low cost and certainly more conveniently to the needy people,
than any institution or hospital – based programme. The Institute
deputes a multidisciplinary, professional team on a fort nightly
basis, which organizes out- reach clinics in the primary Health
Centres in different regions of the State.
|
|
 |
|
Teaching
the Teachers
Aware
of the fact that only a specially trained teacher, possessing
appropriate basic knowledge and understanding about cognitive
and communicative defects, can successfully teach children with
such disabilities, the Institute also conducts regular training
programmes for school teachers in each district.
|
|
Parents
As Partners
|
 |
| |
| As
family plays an important role in the rehabilitation programme,
the Institute holds regular “Awareness and Counselling” programmes,
where the family members of the affected children are given basic
information and counseling regarding the problems of their child
and they are also encouraged to be actively involve in all the
rehabilitation programmes. |
Training
The Therapists
Given the constraints
of an inadequate number of trained specialists in the field of
cognitive and communicative disorders which has been a major hurdle
in organizing rehabilitation services in the state, the Institute
intends to start professional training centres in order to develop
the required manpower to meet the needs and demands of the large
number of people in the state. |
|
Vignana
Jyothi
To
sensitise professionals and public alike to the problem of cognitive
and communicative disorders in the communicative disorders in
the community, the Institute organises regional, short-term,
orientation courses for the benefit of doctors, teachers, anganwadi
workers and public. The Institute has christened this programme
of awareness and awakening as “Vignana Jyothi”. In addition
to all these activities, the Institute also organises periodic
seminars, symposium, workshops and refresher courses for professionals
and paramedical personnel and publishes handouts, brochures,
booklets, posters etc. as part of its public awareness and education
programme.
|
|
 |
|
Not
One But Many Required
Right
from its inception, the society is conscious, of the fact that,
not one, but a number of institutes or centres are required
to meet the demands of a large number of affected people. Towards
that end, the society has plans to establish at least 3 model
comprehensive rehabilitation centres in different regions of
the state.
|
|
Support
Us To Support The Disabled
Putting
in place an institute like this is all very well. Too, often
such model institutions in our country remain dependent upon
some agency funding, the charisma of a single person or a small
team of interested professional or the enthusiasm of a small
region. This institute needs special attention for the diffusion
and expansion of its successful programmes for the benefit of
a large portion of the society in a sustainable fashion. To
meet this enormous challenge, it is important that the government
should recognise such services as essential to the social and
economic well being of its people and encourage them. In this
task, concern, co-operation and contribution by the public are
also equally important.
|
|
|
In this
context we gratefully acknowledge the benevolent donation of 4.5
acres of land we gratefully acknowledge the benevolent donation
of 4.5 acres of land with 39000 sqft. Building at Shornur, Palaghat
(North Kerala) by Shri. V. Govindankutty.
|
|
|
 |
|
