Autism is one of the developmental disabilities. It is a global health crisis that knows no borders. Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. Impairments in ASD virtually affect all aspects of the child's functioning. The defining features of autistic disorders include impaired reciprocal social interaction, impaired communication skills, repetitive and stereotyped patterns behaviors, interests, and activities. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of autism in India increased from 1 in 150 to 1 in 40 between 2000 and 2014. In 80-90% of children with ASD, symptoms appear before the age of three and persist throughout their life span. They seem to develop normally until around 18-24 months of age and then they stop gaining new skills.

There needs to be adequate awareness of autism disorder. The reason for individuals to be well informed is because family members of autistic children undergo great financial and mental burdens and the more uninformed they are, the greater the risk of misdiagnoses, thus making their child more difficult and resistant to therapy. Thus identifying this need, the organization aims to provide a variety of therapies & Special education to 80 autistic children belonging to low-income families. Through the therapies, the organization will work towards improving the communication and functional skills of these 80 autistic children and also to increase the level of acceptance, remove the stigma attached to these children and their families.

• All types of therapies and Special Education to the 80 autistic and slow learner children as per their requirement.
• Academic education to 10 slow learner children for the preparation of NIOS examination up to 2021.
• Online therapies activities and special education sessions for the 80 children till the opening of AARAMBH School.
• Training session on special education to AARAMBH teachers once a month.
• Parent-teacher meeting once in two months to discuss the performance of the child and home activities of each child.
• Opening of the new vocational unit for 15 adult children w.e.f. June 2021 month.

It's not simple to educate an autistic child. Pandemic is also a hurdle. But the uniqueness of this project is the method of planning and implementation of activities planned as per Deliverables. With the funding of Bajaj For the first time in Marathwada Aarambh started online education and therapy sessions. Aarambh’s students and disabled’s of all Maharashtra were the beneficiary of this project. To come out from this situation Aarambh started E-learning and online therapy sessions, workshops, webinars, and many more. The cooperation of many organizations and individuals in society was very much received during this period. With this help, we can work effectively in the pandemic.

The outcome of the project:

• Approx. 80 children directly and 70 indirectly (through the home programme) will be benefitted per year. 300 parents of special children will also be benefitted
• Through counseling, the mindset or thinking can be changed
• Through vocational training, the skill of young children will increase and they can help their families by economical means. Aarambh Art zone helps these children to develop their vocational skills
• Special children will get safe transportation for the conveyance from home to AARAMBH
• Enhanced Quality of therapy and sensory therapy to the students.
• It will provide a platform for Online speech, music, and dance therapy
• It will provide online special education and academic education to the autistic and slow learner children of Aurangabad city as well as outstations.

• Assessment of the children – In Aarambh we first detailed the history of the child and then set goals for the child
• Environment- Create an environment that is not over stimulating. The child will do better if there is no loud music playing in the background, as it distracts an autistic child from concentrating. And also create a structured environment with predictable routines
• Applied Behavior Analysis and Verbal Behavior- By this method of teaching, teachers try to teach them and change appropriate behavior – including speech, academics, and life skills. With this program, we focus on getting a child to realize that language will get him what he wants when he wants it. Requesting is often one of the first verbal skills taught; children are taught to use language to communicate, rather than just to label items. Learning how to make requests also should improve behavior
• Relationship Development Intervention-with this Relationship Development Intervention tries to fix social problems, such as friendship skills, empathy, and the desire to share personal experiences with others
• Sensory Integration Therapy- Sensory integration treatment is expensive. It's provided by the school. With the help of this therapy Children with ASD try to react to things they hear, see, taste and touch
• Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication- A special classroom was structured, with separate, defined areas for each task, such as individual work, group activities, and play. It relies heavily on visual learning, strength for many children with autism and PDD. The children use schedules made up of pictures and/or words to order their day and to help them move smoothly between activities. Children with autism may find it difficult to make transitions between activities and places without schedules
• Vocational Training and workshops - Aarambh timely organized workshops for parents, teachers, and vocational training for the children’s Vocational training is a way to make it employable to the boys and adults with ASD and disability. It is only to prepare the autistic child for full-time employment, make them self confident and better understand the difference between ‘work time’ and ‘rest time’. We are happy to make them fly with pride.