Cognitive Development

with mental retardation is impaired cognitive ability. This trait has pervasive effects, whether the disability is mild or severe. It makes simple talks difficult to learn. It can interfere with communicative competence because the content of the message is harder to deliver and comprehend. The degree of cognitive impairment determines the types of curriculum content these individuals are taught: academic or life skills. Teaching such skills is special education. It is an individualized and tailor made education for a child with special need. It is a specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with disability. The main aim is to help people with special needs to achieve their maximum potential and continue to grow and learn throughout their lives, special education provides them with opportunity to learn to read, write and compute.

At USHAS we focus on the following skills to be achieved:

• Motor Skills : Which includes Gross Motor and Fine Motor development

• Self Care Skills: This includes Toilet Training, Grooming Skills, dressing skills and eating skills.

• Social Skills: skills related to social exchanges, including interaction with others, as well as the initiation and termination of this interaction.

• Communication Skills: Expressive and Receptive language development

• Pre-academic Skills:Pre-writing, Pre-Reading, Pre-Mathematics

• Academic Skills: Writing, Reading, Mathematics

• Self Direction skills: skills related to making choices, completing tasks, seeking assistance and resolving problems.

• Home Living skills: relating to housekeeping, property maintenance, cooking, money concept, home safety and scheduling.

• Leisure Skills: recreational interests and activities that may involve social interaction, mobility skills, taking turns and playing appropriately

• Pre-Vocational Skills:

• Vocational Skills

Special education also includes all the related services (speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, oral motor development, assisted technology etc.) We at USHAS have the various therapies under one roof. Mrs. Rupalata Okade, the CEO, a totally dedicated volunteer, a special educator takes the leadership of facilitating with the entire group of therapists, parents and looking at the child and developing for each child an Individualized Education Program(IEP).