Akshata Kamath

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Staff Profile: Akshata Kamath, Learning Support Specialist

2016-10-14 Olivia's Place Comments Off , ,
Akshata Kamath, Learning Support Specialist, Shanghai

Akshata Kamath, Learning Support Specialist, Shanghai

Akshata Kamath,MA, PGDM,PGD
Learning Support Specialist
Akshata is a versatile child advocate with a solid focus on the individual needs of special education students. She designs and implements inspiring hands on lessons, wide ranging manipulatives, and Individualized Learning Programs to enhance student achievement. She is skilled in addressing her student’s needs, ensuring children will thrive and develop in an adaptable educational atmosphere. She has a Masters in History and Post Graduate Diploma in Education Management from Mumbai University. She also has a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology and is pursuing a Masters in Education from Karnataka University. She has worked in India as a classroom teacher for over 5 years and at SHINE Academy, Shanghai for 3 years as a Learning Facilitator for children with autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, cognitive impairment, and Down Syndrome. Her core teaching areas include mathematics, language, and science. She also has a strong background in creating Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs), behavior management, and social skills.

 

Hi!!! I have been living in Shanghai for close to 6 years now. I worked in the field of Education for 6 years before arriving to Shanghai with my family. For me education has always meant a process of facilitating learning and acquiring knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.

LIH Olivia’s Place strongly believes in providing world class therapy to differently abled children and offering every child the best opportunities to reach their excellence. The therapists here work with compassion, sincerity, and dedication, which inspires me to contribute my talent and knowledge toward our mission and vision.

LIH Olivia’s Place continues to explore and grow in a positive way, involving experienced people from around the globe, bringing together new technology and ideas, and improving services for both expatriate and Chinese families. Together we have created resources that can be accessed by all families.

The work culture at LIH Olivia’s Place is amazing. We have a great team of experienced therapists who willingly share their knowledge to attain excellence in children. My ideology of learning and giving back to society is what I see in the mission of LIH Olivia’s Place. This learning and giving back to society kind of environment makes me happy. LIH Olivia’s Place is where I continue to learn and enhance my knowledge in every way. The happiness of a child’s parents when they are informed about their child’s success gives true meaning for imparting knowledge and education in community.

As my family will someday leave China, I would like to establish an LIH Olivia’s Place in my home country to expand the learning and share new techniques and ways of supporting children with difficult needs. There is more happiness and fulfillment in sharing.


Every Child Deserves a Champion

2015-12-09 Olivia's Place Comments Off , , ,

Every Child deserves a Champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.

                                                                                              – Anonymous

 

Akshata Kamath, Learning Support Specialist, Shanghai

Akshata Kamath, Learning Support Specialist, Shanghai

Every child has the right to education and this right should not be taken away. It amazes me when kids with special needs master their skills, goals, and targets set for them through an Individualized Learning Program. The happiness on the faces of their parents when they are informed about their child’s success gives a true meaning for imparting knowledge and education in community.

Keeping this in mind, LIH Olivia’s Place Shanghai opened its door to special education in a new way by setting up a small program for kids with special needs this year. It’s a typical school environment with a passionate and realistic approach.

EI 1Every morning, students come with happy faces to meet their teachers and to begin an exciting day of learning. With their peers they enjoy half an hour of floor time by choosing activities set up for them by their facilitators. They then prepare for morning circle where they sing songs welcoming all. They independently set up their visual calendars and are ready to sing the songs that signal the start of the day – days of the week, counting numbers, and singing “What day is today, yesterday, and tomorrow.”  It’s rewarding to see the children help their friends and sometimes correct them. The children learn their routine through pictures and photos.

Next, they are ready to participate in guided reading with their teacher. After sitting and listening so well the children are ready for some exercise by playing games such as “Color, Color, Which Color do You Want?”

After some game time, the children are ready to work on their academics. The program follows 3 centers -

 

  1. EI 2Academic: This center is led by the facilitator. ILP goals are identified and are multi-disciplinary by nature. They consists of academic goals taken from US Common Core standards and goals set by ta child’s therapy team (ST, OT, and PT), keeping in mind the individual needs of each child.
  1. Independent: Many children with special needs find working independently a real challenge. To make them successful to live an independent life, this center encourages children to complete their task without help and guidance from the facilitator. We follow the TEACCH task system; students they pull out a bin of work planned for them, complete the activities, and place them into the finished bin.
  1. EI 3Sensory: Many of our children have sensory needs. Some benefit from a sensory activity before they begin work to help them focus and some need them after they complete work to help them relax. This center is designed with the individual needs of each student in mind. The sensory center is well-integrated with Academics, so children work on different kinds of hands on activities.

Each of the three centers runs for approximately fifteen minutes. Centers take place twice a day, one for language arts and the other for mathematics.

Afternoons are directed towards leisure activities. The children participate in Arts and Crafts, Music, Physical Education, and Cooking.  Some of the children have specialist therapies which have been built into their school day at this time.

By 3.00pm our students are exhausted after a long day of learning and are ready to go home. We sing the goodbye song and eagerly await the next exciting day.


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