EducationWorld

Special educators celebrate autism awareness month via virtual conference

Autism Awareness

The education tribe is no stranger to online learning trends. The mushrooming of online learning platforms and some domestic education tech brands ranking among the top unicorn brands of the country is evidence enough for this, but the current COVID-19 situation seems to have stoked the simmering online learning movement into a raging fire.

At this time of a global crisis, we are aware that a lot of parents and professionals are trying to go the extra mile figuring out how to help their students/children during this time. Skill-building is something that will go a long way and the timing can’t be better- it’s like the proverbial silver lining in these uncertain times!

To bridge the gap in skill-building, and bring the parent-teacher community together, Kidskintha a global parents and educators collective has partnered with UNESCO to celebrate the April Autism Awareness Month. The Summit brings together 31 experts from across the globe, covering three major areas of special needs- Autism, ADHD & Dyslexia.

The first virtual summit in India exclusively dedicated to special needs that rallies global advocates for  Special Needs Equity and Inclusion, the Summit opened to rave reviews on April 7th, 2020 from over 2600 participants from across the globe.

The summit presents a 360 degree perspective on diversity and inclusion and touches two broad focus areas for special needs- healthcare and education featuring experts such as researchers, educators, doctors, therapists, psychiatrists, counselors – and even parents!

The collaboration with UNESCO reiterates the Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 which advocates for the inclusion of all learners to acquire knowledge and skills for sustainable development and lifestyles.

I am excited and look forward to hearing the esteemed guest speakers, all renowned experts, and hope we can keep the spirits high and contribute our best while dealing with a global crisis”, says Mame Omar Diop, Chief of Education, UNESCO New Delhi.

The Summit has also received a special endorsement from the National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in India emphasizing the need for more such conferences in the country as it is the need of the hour. 

The Special Kids International Summit is carefully designed, curated and hosted by Kidskintha in partnership with MindRocket Media Group, a United States Education Advisory company, to present 9 tracks between April 7-11 2020. The Summit covers broadly two areas for special needs care – Healthcare and Education. The areas identify various symptoms of Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), early intervention, inclusion in the classroom, adapting to sensory needs, classroom screening for Dyslexia, using adaptive technology for learning success and advocacy for special needs rights as parents/educators.

‘Our speakers are all the top players in their respective fields, but they don’t just throw hardline research stats on the table. Most of them are special needs themselves or have parented special needs kids, so there is a very empathetic connection with the audience, coupled with humor and pragmatism, The results are evident. Participants from all over the world connect to the strategies and tips provided’.

– Devishobha Chandramoui, Special kids International Summit Host and Founder of Kidskintha. 

“I cannot thank you enough for supplying these talks. I am a special education teacher, PreK-6th grade, in Montana, USA. I am so grateful to have instruction and insight from so many experts available to me. Thank you also for providing the links for follow up questions and diving deeper into their areas of expertise. This summit will make a difference in the way I approach assessment, instruction, and intervention in my classroom, as well as how I collaborate with my general education colleagues and parents. All that and I am only halfway through day 1!

– Lisa Pieper, Special Educator, Special Kids International Summit Participant. 

I am speechless after attending your session. It was outstanding. We, counselors psychologists face so many such concerns in school ( basically English medium schools- the students are neither good in mother tongue/native language nor English)& external cases as well. We are badly in need of a tool like DALI which is suitable for the Indian context.  I support the fact that the Mother tongue plays a vital role in language development. I have drawn the notes also. I am so grateful for this summit

-Urmila Chavan, Counselor,  SPINS 2020 participant on Nandini Singh’s talk.

The Summit is entirely FREE and is open for registration at www.spins2020.live, Registrations are open until May 7th, 2020.