We stepped into SPASTN 20 years ago and saw the dedicated, experienced team here. We also saw the tremendous happiness in the children who come here. Our German friends who specialize in treatment for disabled children have expressed their happiness in the care given to these children at SPASTN. The present director Mrs L.V.Jayashree is very capable and engaged in the growth of SPASTN for the benefit of the children, their families and the institution. We are very happy and deeply appreciative of SPASTN’s work.

SPASTN has been a lighthouse for children with disabilities for many decades. The untiring efforts of Team SPASTN has helped many individuals in finding meaning in their lives. It has been a privilege for Sense India to be a partner with SPASTN to reach out to people with deafblindness & multiple disabilities in South India.

Our Engagement with SPASTN began in 2017 through our ‘Logicares program’, an initiative for giving back to the community. The Chennai Logitech team has been involved in volunteering initiatives such as sports day events, autism awareness programs and donating to SPASTN. It has been a great opportunity for our volunteers to know about Spastn and the dedication of the staff and teachers towards special children. A special mention to Ms Jayashree and Ms Bhuvana for all the support towards Logicares initiatives.

Samarthyam partnered with SPASTN to promote infrastructure accessibility and to make India inclusive. We are proud to be associated with an organisation that promotes universal accessibility with a focus on independent living, early intervention and quality of life for children with developmental disabilities. SPASTN has showcased that it is possible to change mindset and lives if one is committed to making the right effort and teamwork helps in achieving ‘leave no one behind’.

My son Mohammad Kasim was about 8 months old when I noticed that he could not do most of the things others children would do at his age. This worried me; why wasn’t my child rolling his head, babbling, clapping hands and crawling like other kids? There was also constant pressure from my own family for being responsible for Kasim’s condition. This was when I came to SPASTN Ayanavaram. The team helped me understand Kasim’s problem and trained me to work with him. The motivation provided by the SPASTN team gave me the feeling of working with one big family. Now at 1.5 years of age, Kasim can walk sideways with support and do a lot more than before! I’m happy to say that SPASTN is my extended family.

As a child in grade 2, Ruthreash repeatedly told us about how he wanted to join the army when he grew up. As parents, we wondered if we could help him achieve his dreams when he had a disability in his legs. Through the Institute of Child Health in Egmore, Chennai, we came to know of SPASTN’s Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program. Here he goes through therapy and remedial education support so he can eventually catch up with mainstream schooling. Since then there’s been no looking back; the Padianallur CBR centre is his second home. Ruthreash now uses his willpower to stand and walk with support, hoping even to play football with his friends. Today, he tells us and his teacher at SPASTN, “As my legs get better, I will join the army and march smartly like a soldier”.

My son Jayapradeep initially went to a mainstream school. Given his behaviour issues, the school authorities suggested a special school for him. I took him to a therapy centre hoping it would help, but he would only get agitated, shout, run around or wet himself. We discovered SPASTN in 2014 and that is when we realised Jayapradeep was autistic. Teachers at SPASTN told us that agitation was just his way of communicating trauma and anxiety. Jayapradeep was delighted to be at SPASTN. His teachers helped channel his energy into skating, swimming, and yoga. SPASTN is the best place for him because of their holistic approach to combining the 3Rs and extracurricular activities. Knowing he was taken care of here at SpasTN, I gained the confidence to pursue a teacher education program in 2019. Today, I am a Special Education Teacher thanks to my son, who helped me find my passion in teaching.