The Certificate Programme will equip you with the knowledge, attitudes, strategies and skills to foster the all round development of young children with Cerebral Palsy and have a positive influence on their lives. This Certificate Programme will enable you to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team providing early intervention and education to children with disabilities up to the age of 6 years, in a variety of settings, such, as inclusive set-ups, integrated set-ups and special schools. The aim is to involve you in the creation of an inclusive society that facilitates the full participation of children with disabilities and their families through networks and appropriate supports in a barrier-free environment.

As a parent/family member of a person with disability or as a teacher/community worker working with persons with disabilities, you have a crucial role in facilitating their all round development. As a first step in your preparation for this role as a ‘facilitator’, you yourself need to be convinced about their potential and acknowledge that disability is not barrier to living a fulfilling and enriched life. Your convictions will help you in spreading awareness and carrying out advocacy to remove prejudices and negative attitudes.
Mere awareness is not enough. You need to play a proactive role in fostering the development of children with disabilities. For doing so, you need to be equipped with information regarding the nature, early identification and prevention of disabilities; strategies and methods of stimulating physical, motor, language, mental and social development during early childhood and later years; teaching principles and methodologies; aids and appliances; and the various education options available, so that children with disabilities can be an integral part of community life.

Objectives of the Programmes of Study

• The Certificate Programme will equip you to provide inputs to children with cerebral palsy for early intervention and education. The specific objectives of the Programme are:
• To develop an understanding about disability and an attitude of empathy and sensitivity towards persons with disabilities.
• To be aware of the importance of prevention and early detection of disabilities and to be able to screen children for disabilities and provide referral;
• To develop the conviction that a child with disability can learn and benefit from early intervention and education;
• To learn the strategies, methods and skills of providing early intervention, training and education to children so as to foster children’s all round development including development of physical, motor, cognitive, language, socio-emotional and personal care abilities;
• To develop the skills of creating networks and partnerships with families of children with disabilities and professionals working for them;
• To know the various educational options and facilitate the inclusion of the children in the home, school and community; and
• To adapt the physical, social and teaching-learning environment so as to provide the required support to the children to develop their potential, acquire concepts and develop abilities.
• This Certificate Programme Study is in response to two significant trends in the world today:
• Nations across the worl are constantly attempting to bring about positive changes changes and put systems in place that will ensure that all persons enjoy all human rights and privileges; and
• Information technology is being increasingly used to enable people to access information and build their capacities to remain meaningfully active in their professional and personal lives. Distance Education employs IT towards this end.

Teleconferencing

Teleconferencing is a one-way video and two-way audio facility. Teleconferencing will be held every month. During teleconferencing session, you will get an opportunity to interact by phone in facility or fax with the resource persons/experts who participate in teleconferencing session and clear your doubts immediately.

The teleconferencing facility will be available at the Regional Centre and Selected Study Centres. The teleconferencing schedule will be sent to the Programme In-charge and Regional Director who would inform the students. Teleconferencing is done through Gyan Darshan Channel. Students must regularly attend these sessions. These will help them clarify doubts and interact with other learners all over the country.

Radio Counselling

Radio counselling will be held through FM and students can ask questions free of cost with phone in facilities right from their homes. A toll free telephone number 110012345 has been provided for this purpose.

Telecast

The Programme will also be telecast through DD Metro channel and schedule will be informed to students in advance.

Audio-video Programme

Audio and video programmes for each course have been prepared to support learning for the students. These Audio-video programmes in the form of cassettes are available at all Programme Study Centres. These Audio and video cassettes will be provided for viewing and listening. They can also hire the cassettes for viewing and listening.

Attendance

Students will be required to complete seventy-five percent attendance in theory counselling to become eligible for appearing in Term-end Examination. Similarly, they will be required to complete ninety percent attendance in practical contact sessions to become eligible for appearing in practical examination.

Continuous Evaluation of Theory Component

Assignments

Assignment is a means of continuing assessment of theory and practical. Assignments will help you to recapitulate the theory and go back to the text again in case students are unable to answer a particular question. Thus assignments also help to reinforce learning in distance learning system of education. These assignments consist of a set of questions and activities that you will answer at your own place by referring your blocks.

The assignments will cover all types of questions (long answer type, short answer type, objective type, multiple choice questions and case studies). The assignments will carry thirty percent weightage. Students will be required to obtain fifty percent marks as pass percentage in each assignment separately. Each assignment will carry 100 marks. In the final result assignments will carry thirty percent weightage.

Term-end Examination

As stated earlier, term-end examination is the major component of the evaluation system and if carries seventy percent weightage in the Final result. The University conducts term-end examination twice a year i.e., in June and December. They can take the examination only after completion of the course, failing which students can take the same in December or June of subsequent years years within the total span of the programme.

In case any student fail to get a pass score in the Tern-end Examination, the person will be eligible to reappear at the next Term-end Examination for that course as and when if is held, within the total span of the Programme.