Bubbles Event, Fancy Dress Competition, September 25th, 2010

http://picasaweb.google.com/aatmaja66/FancyDress25thSept2010?feat=email#5521648886663996434

Trip to rural zing 29th Aug2010

Bubbles Experience: A write-up by Praveena

Bubbles is special to us. Not because Sarbani aunty always gives us wonderful food when we go. (Though that is definitely a factor.) But Bubbles is where I see life at its best.

 
I still remember the day when I went to Bubbles for the first time. It was a Saturday and my friend gave me wrong directions and I walked in circles before I finally found it. I liked the first look of Bubbles. It was closer to home and closer to the bus stop. But little did I know that I would absolutely fall in love with that place.  

I was one of the volunteers for a school day event at Bubbles. Sarbani Aunty and Karuna aunty gave us instructions on the programmes happening the next day. I was in charge of the blue team (I like the color blue) I took my responsibility very seriously. 

A friend told us that the students of Bubbles were autistic and non-autistic. She explained to us how it is important to have challenged children integrated into every aspects of society and Bubbles was playing an important role in doing that. As we listened to her quietly, I realized that this was something big.   

I had heard very little of autism. It did not affect me, so I did not know a lot about it. I had a conversation with Sarbani Aunty once and she explained to me what 'Autism' was. She encouraged questions and explained the condition quite simply. It was all new to me. 

I confess. I am afraid of kids. I somehow strongly believed that children did not like me. Children never liked coming to me and even if they did, the story ended with the child wailing and crying (and I trying to hide my face to avoid being seen as the insensitive adult who made a child cry) or they would run to a more popular adult (with me grinning…. Pretending to send the child to them myself) so I actually did not look forward to my first event with Bubbles as the ‘in-charge’ of the Blue team…

The first event was fantastic. Because I am blogging right now, I shall say that my blue team was fantastic. But it was our kind of place. Fun-filled. It was not about being autistic, non-autistic, talented, non-talented, shy, non-shy etc. It was the sheer energy, chaos (good kind of chaos) and cheer that I fell at home with.

 
Thus began our relationship with Bubbles. We have decorated Bubbles a dozen times for Christmas/Children’s day/School Day, stripped off the decorations and cleaned up after each event… Become Santa Clauses (dancing Salsa and Govinda naach - Only kids would fall for that…) Gave presentations and did many more things and each of them was an absolute pleasure. We always tell Sarbani aunty that our motives for coming to Bubbles are totally selfish. We come to Bubbles to have fun (of course the food is a catalyst too). Volunteering is just a part of the deal. 

 
The society does a very good job of marginalizing autistic individuals. Society actually marginalizes any individual who suffers from a neurological or a psychological disorder. In our day to day life, how many autistic individuals do we come across? How many individuals do we interact with who are mentally challenged? This is where Bubbles is making a huge difference because it brings out autism into the open. It encourages dialogue about autism with parents and teachers and eliminates the shame and fear associated with it.  

My parents had not allowed me to go out for a  late night outing when I was 16 years old. I was convinced that my parents did not want me to be independent(At that time, all I believed was that ‘If I had to be independent, I should be allowed to do what I wanted to do’) Now when I think about it, I realize that all your life, your parents and teachers teach you to be independent. This is what as a school, Bubbles does as well. The only difference is that Bubbles welcomes all children. And they do a really good job of it. 

I learnt a lot at Bubbles. Here, I am time and again humbled by how much more I have to learn and the realization that most of the stuff that matter, I can learn from children.

In one event I saw a kid who I thought acted way too grown up. My friend and I had dressed up as Santa Clause and worn masks to entertain the kids and she came to my friend and told her 'I know you were the one behind the mask, I remember your earrings'. It is a different thing that my friend was stupid enough to wear earrings while being dressed as Santa Clause, but I concluded that the kid was a snob. Kids are not supposed to notice earrings or remember them, and they are supposed to like Santa Clause. Minutes later I saw an autistic kid sit and our keen observer friend went out to help her get up and dusted her dress and helped her wear her bag and got her shoes and they walked hand in hand. Who was the snob here I wonder? 
 
Autistic children are very talented. So I had heard. But I saw a young girl dance for a Malaika Arora number and I went to a flashback on how nervous I was before my first stint on the stage. While I marveled at how graceful the girl looked, I saw how important that stage was to her. She didn’t care for the world. Bubbles give children such moments. Moments where you can be your best, even if you are different.

And I realized that I need to learn to create my moments and not waste time being nervous and scared. 

There are many reasons why I think Bubbles is special. But what can I say except that I am absolutely in love with that place……..

 

Bubbles Learning Programmes

Education At Bubbles

Know what is right and what is wrong.
Be willing to share and take turns with others.
Be able to relate to others.
Be curious and explore his environment.
Be able to listen and speak with understanding.
Be comfortable and happy with themselves.
Develop healthy habits.
Be independent and responsible for themselves.
Love their family, friends, teachers and school.

Social Skill Training Programme

• This program is for children in the age group of 3 years and above who have deficits in social skills.
  
• Helping the child to acquire the necessary skills to be more interactive with their peer group and others and channelizing their energy through recreational and stimulating activities are the goals of this program
  

Language Through Play

• This program is for children in the age group of 4 – 10 years who show deficits in both respective and expressive language.
• It also covers other skills, outdoor play, listening & comprehension and classroom behavior.
• It is an after school programme tailored to the needs of children with language deficits where in language is developed through stories, pretend play and role play, parallel talk, question and answer sessions, picture talk and conversation.

Playschool/ Nursery

• Bubbles provides a structured preschool program for children in the age group of 2-5 years.
• The play school and nursery function 5 days a week with school timings from 9:30 – 12:00 noon.
• The daily program includes learning activities that develop school readiness skills, with an emphasis on language, basic number concepts, simple science concepts, pre reading skills, social skills, creative thinking and problem solving skills.
• Emphasis is also on music, movement and out door play.

Early Intervention Programme

• This programme creates a structured learning environment with a good teacher student ratio.
• To foster independence in their daily living, we encourage the use of visual time tables.
• An elective approach to skill training ensures all round development in every child.
• This program focuses on motor, language & communication, cognitive social, self help & play skills

Events at Bubbles

The major events we have been part of in Bubbles are the following:

• Bubbles Fest
  
• Children's Day Celebrations
  
• Christmas Parties
  

But every other festival or occasion is celebrated with such vigour, fun and creativity, that you actually begin to feel that Oh my God, How I wish I had thought of this idea or that craft activity or that game or that dance activity.

Most of the activities ensure that the children feel that they own the tasks that they are assigned to. 

Just imagine, all these programmes and activities have been built upon by experience, after having worked with autistic children all her life, Sarbani Aunty and her team have identified the activities which will not only help these kids have a gala time, but ensures that learning is also a key takeaway.

Bubbles Experience

Most of us started out with our first few "C" or computer languages with the printf statement"Hello World". When I start penning or rather typing away my memories and experiences with Bubbles, this is what I am tempted to say the same to the rest of the world reading us...."Hello World...Welcome to the world of Bubbles"

We were a bunch of pals fresh from college. We had just started working. In the company where I work, we happened to meet a person by name "Moses", who was our inspiration towards devoting our time to causes that benefit others.

Bubbles started off as one of the events, that we were part of. But, Im sure u knew my next sentence was coming......Bubbles was not just another event. It was an experience that we never did forget.....

We were part of the registration team, and we had kids aged between 4 and 10 come in at around 10am in March, 2006. Most of them wouldnt respond when they were asked their names, I thought that it was because they wouldnt talk to strangers or were moody. Little did I know that the kids were autistic then.

It was amazing to see these children perform on stage. I still remember the grace and the josh that a 4 year old autistic kid displayed on stage when she was dancing. I bet you a million bucks, no one would have even thought she was even remotely associated with autism. There she was on stage, all smiles and having a great time....

And then we got to meet another kid, very affectionate, she was around 8 years old. She kept asking us why her mother didnt come to pick her. It was difficult to distract her attention to anything else. She was always used to being picked up by her mother and was finding it difficult to understand as to why someone else was going to pick her...

And then we got to meet the prodigy, let me take you to the beginning of our interaction. We had to make a presentation on Egypt to a group of autistic and non-autistic children, and we were quizzing the kids on a few GK questions about Egypt like the capital or the main river of Egypt...we get the answers from our prodigy even before we finish the questions.....

Years later, I get to know that our prodigy is autistic.....

There is this kid, who can solve complex simultaneous equations, and give the right answer just by looking at the question. But she wouldnt be able to explain how she arrived at the solution. 

I am told that there are various degrees in autism. It is by far a very varying condition. Different kids with autism, face different behavioral challenges, which is by large unique from other kids facing the same condition.

You could have children displaying delayed milestones, like say not doing things when they are supposed to, that is say...if they are supposed to walk by 2, or talk by 3......

You could have children unable to express their feelings or their thoughts. Lets just say that if someone were to bully them or beat them, they would feel the pain, but would just not know how to react.....Imagine the frustration that they must be undergoing.....

Autistic children are usually used to a structured lifestyle. They do not understand the varying aspects of the society they live in. Lets just say that if they are told and trained to have the freedom to pull out things from the showcase of their own homes and if they were to be restrained from doing the same in a guest's house...they just wouldnt understand the difference....

Sarbani Aunty, the person who runs Bubbles Home, was telling us  the other day that when she was talking to another friend and was interrupted by an autistic child, she had forgotten to chide the child for doing so. She was later reminded by the kid as to why she was not scolded, as she was always taught that it was not right to interrupt 2 people  conversing....

How does Sarbani make the difference...

In Bubbles, they work with different kinds of intervention programmes. These programmes are designed to meet the child's requirements. Lets just say that there are children who have not yet started talking, probably coz they have not had the exposure or the environment to express themselves, Bubbles identifies speech therapists and helps the child in developing the normal condition of speech....

In Bubbles, most of the work that is done revolves around autistic children. Many a time, the people who need help the most are the parents of the autistic children, as they just dont understand as to why their children cant perform or do as well as the other normal children and end up pushing the children too hard, only ending up in doing the kid more harm.....

If I were to be a parent of an autistic child, only then would I understand what is faced by the parents day in and day out. ....But since autism is a condition which cant be treated and cured for life......it is a condition which persists lifelong. A child with autism grows up into an adult with autism....Then what can be done in such a situation.....

The most important part being that in Bubbles, children with autism are trained to be independent. Most of the teaching revolves around visual aids....and the use of structured patterns as far as their daily routine is concerned. Another important factor that is considered is that the child is also undergoing the same routine at home.....as it wouldnt just help....if they were to follow a particular schedule for a few hours a week...and go back to doing none of it at home....

In Bubbles, parents are taken into confidence regarding the kind of help and support they can provide to their children who are autistic. And with the help of the structured learning programmes, parents themselves see the change and appreciate the positive impacts....

In Bubbles, the learning programmes ensure that the autistic child's needs are appreciated and well looked into from a futuristic perspective....

Our friends

• Gail who comes over once a fortnight to teach the children music
• The teachers at Bubbles, they necessitate the diiference
• Debasis and his friend, Abhijith
• The parents of all the children who come to Bubbles. It is their patience and understanding that helps Bubbles make a difference

Contact Bubbles

Contact: Sarbani Mallick

Address: #1279, KHB Colony, GovindrajNagar, Bangalore – 560079
Phone: 98455 57115 / 6533 5203
Email: aatmaja@hotmail.com

About Bubbles

Bubbles Learning & Activity Centre was established in 2003 with a small group of 4 children as an integrated pre-school program. With the increase in demand for services, we started three separate programs such as Early Intervention, Language through play & Social skill training program. Apart from preschool for children (2-5 Years), we run programs which caters to specific needs in children with development delay.

We have a dedicated group of teachers who are trained and experienced in early childhood development and learning. We regularly attend seminars and conferences and participate in certified workshops to keep in touch with the latest in the field of education.

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears in the first three years of a child's life. It is primarily a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of communication skills and social interaction skills.

Autism is found throughout the world in families of all racial, ethnic, income levels or social backgrounds. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls. In the 90s, the incidence was as high as 1 in 10,000 births, as per the latest statistics from the US Dept of Education and other Government agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10 – 17% per year and it is found to be 1 in 150 births.

Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate with others and relate to the outside world. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present.

Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste (sensory processing difficulty).

Some signs to look for in a child with autism:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language (does not babble coo by 12 months)
  
• Repetitive use of language and / or motor mannerisms (e.g. hand flapping, spinning objects)
  
• Little or no eye contact
  
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12months
  
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
  
• Lack of spontaneous or pretend play
  
• Has any loss of any language or social skills at any age
  
• Persistent fixations on parts of objects
  

A child showing any of these above mentioned behavior should have further evaluation by a multi disciplinary team comprising of neurologist, psychologist, development pediatricians, speech/ language therapist, special educator or other professional well versed in Autism.

Children do not outgrow autism. A child with autism grows into an adult with autism. Early diagnosis and interventions are very important to the successful prognosis of the child. Parents all over the world have been trying out various kinds of therapy and treatment techniques for many years now. There is no one definite method for all the children because each child in the spectrum is unique and truly needs a program tailored to suit his or her needs. A child with autism needs an integration of several methodologies to obtain an appropriate education. The tested and well researched methods are ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), TEACCH, PECS(Picture Exchange Communication System).