Diploma In Early Childhood Special Education (Mental Retardation)

Mode of Education - Face to Face
Registration & Prospectus: Rs. 1500 /-
Course Fees: 16,000/- + 5000/- Annual funds + 4000/- for Lab. and Library Last Date for submission of Application Forms: As per guidelines of RCI / IGNOU
Last Date with late fees of Rs. 500/- for submission of Application Forms: As per guidelines of RCI / IGNOU
Duration: 1 year
Eligibility: 10+2 or above
Rehabilitation Council of India's (RCI) Course.
Centre Code: 9071

Introduction
The training programmes in India, currently focuses on persons with Mental Retardation at school going age and vocational age. The importance of early detection and suitable training and management is well known. Early childhood education has emerged as an important area of interest. Children with developmental delay (DD) or at risk for Mental Retardation certainly need supportive education in early years of life. Currently, there is a worldwide trend towards enhancing support through early childhood special education. This being the critical period, appropriate intervention at the right time arrests further damage and helps parents mould their attitude positively towards management of the child with DD/Mental Retardation.

Objectives of the Course

• Human resource development
• Research and development
• Development models of care and rehabilitation
• Consultancy services to voluntary organisations
• Documentation and dissemination
• Extension and Outreach programmes

NATURE OF THE COURSE
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) focuses on children below 6 years of age and has various modes and approaches in imparting training based on the ability of the target group. This could be home based training, centre based training, placement in regular pre-schools, Anganwadis or Balawadis. This demands training of human resources suitable to reaching out to the families by being a home visitor or itinerant teacher, to manage children with disabilities in regular or special pre-schools. The early childhood special educator is also expected to work as a member in a multi-disciplinary team for designing and managing the curriculum, to enhance inclusion of the disabled children alongside the mainstream population. To provide all of these competencies, a programme leading to Diploma in Early Childhood Special Education is being offered at INPA, Chandigarh.

Objectives

• To provide competencies among trainees in areas of early detection of disabilities, assessment, programming and evaluation.

• To train them to work as a member in a multi-disciplinary team.

• To provide teaching strategies in ECSE, in various pre-school settings.

• To be an effective link between home and the school.

• To prepare the children for primary school education.

Scope & Placement Opportunities

Placement opportunities to work as Early Childhood special Educator:

• In regular preschools.
• In Special schools in classes for pre school children.
• In research projects on ECSE/ECE.
• Coordination of Anganwadi Centres and any Govt or Private pre - school centres including children with special educational needs.
• To be a home based instructor and/or itinerant teacher for pre school children with developmental delays.
• Any school programme special / regular schools working towards inclusion of special children in regular pre-schools
   

Eligibility
Minimum educational qualification for admission to the course will be, successful completion of ten plus two or equivalent examination with 50% marks for candidates belonging to general category and 40% for reserved category as prescribed by Govt. of India.

Admission Criteria
Educational Qualification: 10+2 : 60 marks

Preferential weightage for candidates for Science/Engineering stream : 10 marks

Weightage for experienced / sponsored candidates : 05 marks

Parents / siblings of persons with mental retardation : 05 marks

Interview : 20 marks

TOTAL : 100 MARKS
 

Selection
Application for admission will be screened and short listed on the basis of three candidates per seat by a committee specially constituted for this purpose. Merit list based on the academic qualification as per the rules will be prepared. Final merit list will be prepared based on the scores obtained by the candidates on the basis of academic qualification, experience and performance in the interview. TA/DA will not be paid by the institute for attending the interview. No candidate is allowed to change the course of study and centre once admitted and if he/she is still desirous to joining any course within the Institute or at any other place, the fee/ deposits remitted to the Institute shall be forfeited.

Joining & Submission of Certificates
Selected candidates should join the course by the stipulated date. At the time of joining the course, the selected candidates will have to produce. a) Undertaking to the effect that the admitted candidates will not discontinue the course and b) Medical certificate of fitness from a Civil Surgeon declaring the state of health.

Number of Seats
The total number of seats are Twenty Five (25) of which "three" (3) are reserved for SC, "Two" (2) for ST and "One" (1) seat for those with physical handicap with locomotor disability in one lower limb. In case no candidate turn up for the reserved seats, they will be declared open.

Duration of Course:
One academic year i.e., ten calendar months comprising of 220 working days, 8 hours per day, 5 days a week. There will be an internship of 3 months duration, subject to instructions from RCI.

Medium of Instruction
Delivery of lectures will be mainly in English. However, candidates will be allowed to write the Final Exam in Hindi, English or Punjabi.

Attendance
Minimum attendance 80% is essential to be eligible for appearing for the examination. 100% of the practical work and assignments should be completed and certified by the respective staff prior to the examination. If due to illness, the student is unable to complete the target, production of medical certificate can be considered. However, the final decision of allowing for examination will be taken by the competent authority.

Any shortage of attendance will have to be made up before the final examination by the student concerned and the institute does not take responsibility whatsoever in arranging theory and practical classes. The applications of those candidates with shortage of attendance will not be considered for issue of hall tickets to appear in examinations.

The Institute reserves the right to cancel the admission if the candidate admitted is found to be habitually absent or is not putting up the required attendance or is not making significant improvement in studies or not taking interest in pursuing the course of study.

The guidelines pertaining to the examination procedures prescribed by the Rehabilitation Council of India shall be adopted.

Examination
Examination will be conducted in English/Hindi/Punjabi language. A minimum of 40% in each theory paper with an aggregate of 50% in all the theory papers is requested for passing the theory while a minimum of 50% is essential for passing in practical. A combination of internal and external will be followed for theory papers.

For practicals, it will be both internal and external as per course structure. The examination will be conducted for individualized family service programme (IFSP), group teaching and therapeutics and evaluation will be done by the internal an external examiners. Record submission of IFSP will be made during final examination where external examiner will ask questions during viva. External as well as internal examiners marks will be considered for finalizing the marks.
The student will also be given opportunities for improvement of marks in the particular examination by reappearing in the specific paper in the next examination. The guidelines pertaining to the examination procedures prescribed by the Rehabilitation Council of India shall be adopted.

Periodic Evaluations
There will be a minimum of two term examinations and two tests during the training course in all theory subjects. Practical activities will be tested throughout the year. The marks obtained by the trainee teacher shall be entered in the marks register of the centre.

Course Content
The course has about 40% theory and 60% exposure on practicals as prescribed by RCI. The theory and practical papers covered are given below:

Theory
Paper-I Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
A. Nature and needs of children with Developmental Delay/ Mental Retardation
B. Early childhood special education - Issues and Trends

Paper-II Child Development and Learning
A. Child Development
B. Learning in children during early years

Paper-III Organization of Early Childhood Special Education Programme
A. Identification and Assessment
B. Planning and Management of Early Childhood Special Education Programme

Paper-IV Curriculum and Teaching Strategies
A. Curricular adaptation
B. Teaching strategies, method and materials

Paper-V Inter-disciplinary Aspects in ECSE
A. Therapeutics
B. Working with families

Practicals
Paper-I Individualized Family Service Programme
Paper-II Group Teaching
Paper-III Therapeutic interventions

Award of Diploma
Based on the performance during the course and on the annual examination, the successful candidates will be awarded Diploma in Early Childhood Special Education (MR). Minimum marks for passing examinations will be 40% in each paper with aggregate of 50%. Candidates scoring 70% and above will be awarded the Diploma with Distinction. Candidates will be deemed to have failed in the, examination if they score less than 40% marks in the theory or practicals. The unsuccessful candidates will be allowed to reappear only in theory examination upto 3 attempts to complete the course. If a candidate has failed in any of the practicals he/ she will be required to appear in all the theory and practical again.

Faculty
In addition to two core faculty if needed competent guest faculty with experience will be arranged as per requirements of the topics given in the syllabus.

Discipline 
The candidates admitted should abide with discipline within the prescribed administrative regulations and also avail the hostel accommodation as provided the candidates are expected to maintain decorum, decency and discipline throughout their pursuance of the course with the staff faculty co- students and other supporting staff.