new horizons group · lead a better quality of life with good speech and communication. ......

New Horizons Group

NEWSLETTER (QPM/ MNL-01, Vol. III Issue 6) | July , 2017

Developmental PediatricianDr. Samir Dalwai (MD, DNB, DCH,FCPS, DNB and LLB) founded NewHorizons Child DevelopmentCentre (NHCDC now NHD) in2003. NHD has developed 5centres and currently houses ateam of more than 60paramedical professionals. NHDprovides multi-disciplinaryservices to more than 300children daily with a ratio of onespecialist to one child in eachintervention session.

New Horizons Health & ResearchFoundation (NHHRF now NHF), isa registered non-profitorganization[Reg.No.U85100MH2012NPL23856; No.DIT(E)/80G/111/N/2014-15],which works in the areas ofhealth, impairment and earlychildhood development. NHFfollows a four-pronged approach:Research, Rehabilitation,Advocacy and Training.

Established in 2014, NewHorizons Institute ofEducation & Research (NHIERnow NHI) is the educationalwing of NHG. In May, 2015,TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIALSCIENCES (TISS), Mumbai andNHF entered a collaborationand offer diploma courses inSpecial Education andRehabilitation Psychology.

New Horizons Educationand Training Solutions(NHETS now NHS) provideshighly specialized solutionsto schools in Mumbai. Ourspecialists are deputed atthe school on a customizedbasis for conductingevaluation, intervention andcounseling for children withacademic, emotional andbehavioural concerns.

Dr. Waheeda Pagarkarstarted the New HorizonsAudiology (NHA) and HearingAid Centre for Adults andChildren in August 2014. In itsfirst year, NHA has seenaround 400 patients, out ofwhich 20 were adults and theremaining 380 were children.35 patients were diagnosedwith hearing loss of varyingtype and degree while 10 wereprescribed with hearing aids.

TAKE A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE!

For exciting career opportunities with New Horizons Group, click here: http://www.enablemychild.org/new-horizons-group/nhg-careers/

NHD - Dadar (East)

1st Floor, Jeevak Nursing Home, Sai Kunj, MMSG Marg, Dadar (East), Mumbai - 400 014.

Tel: 022 65287397 / 022 24144596 / 7506171230

NHD - Bhandup (West)

Pawar Public School, Opp. DreamsMall, Off LBS Marg, Bhandup (West),Mumbai - 400 078.

Tel: 022 21663024 / 9769669332

NHD and NHAGoregaon (West)

2nd Floor,Techniplex II, Techniplex Complex,Veer Savarkar Flyover, Goregaon (West),Mumbai - 400 062.

Tel: 022 60600650 / 7506171240

NHD - Goregaon (East)

Ground Floor, Saira Mansion,Pahadi School Road 2, Goregaon (East),Mumbai - 400 063.

Tel: 022 65711586

NHD - Santa Cruz (West)

Shop No. 47, 1st Floor, Hi-Life Mall, Opp. Santa Cruz Station, Santa Cruz (West), Mumbai - 400 054.

Tel: 022 26465649 / 9819224415

[email protected]/newhorizonscdc

New Horizons Group - www.enablemychild.org

THE WONDER YEARS - DR. SAMIR DALWAI, FOUNDER DIRECTOR, NEW HORIZONS GROUP AND PRESIDENT, INDIAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, MUMBAI, URGES PARENTS TO PUT THE JOY BACK INTO PARENTING!

On 10th April 2017, HR Department of New Horizons declared the names of the winners of the Quarterly Rewards and Recognition Awards. Congratulations to the all the winners and may you touch the lives of many, many more children through your work at New Horizons!

LEND ME YOUR EARS! - UPDATE FROM NEW HORIZONS AUDIOLOGY CENTRE (NHA)

SKATING SUPERSTAR SHLOK MADYE SKATES HIS WAY INTO THE RECORD BOOKS

IN PURSUIT OF HEALTH - HEALTH CAMP AT WAGHE HIGH SCHOOL - BY TEAM NEW HORIZONS HEALTH AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION (NHF)

SNAPSHOTS!

New Horizons Audiology Centre (NHA) aims at enabling hearing of hearing impaired adults and

children with recent advances in technology and with skilled professionals, thus enabling them to

lead a better quality of life with good speech and communication.

Dr. Waheeda Pagarkar is a renowned Audiovestibular Consultant at Hackney ARK and Royal

National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital, London. She has done her MBBS and MD in Paediatrics from

Seth G. S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai and her MRCPCH (UK) and MSc (Audiology)

from the University of London. Considering the paucity of care in the field of Audiovestibular Medicine

for children and adults, for conditions like dizziness/vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss, in collaboration

with New Horizons, she set up a State-of-the-Art Audiology Centre in August 2014.

From 27th to 29th July 2017, Dr. Waheeda Pagarkar conducted OPD sessions at the centre. Over 31

adults and children with genetic syndromes, vestibular concerns and neurodevelopmental disorders

visited the OPD and interventions are underway.

For more information about New Horizons Audiology Centre please log on to

www.facebook.com/nhaudiology.

Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan (YCP), New Horizons Health and Research Foundation (NHF) and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), Mumbai organized a health camp for

children of Waghe High School, Colaba, on Sunday, 30th July 2017. The health camp began with lamp-lighting and felicitation of the guests, followed by an interaction

with Mr. Dutta Balsaraf, Trustee of YCP and Dr. Samir Dalwai, FounderDirector, New Horizons Group and Trustee of YCP with the School Principal and teachers, talking to

them about important aspects of child development.

Children from Grade V to Grade X participated very enthusiastically in the camp. Their health assessment included general health examination, ophthalmic examination,

measurement of height, weight, blood-pressure and head circumference. Skin ailments, recurrent illnesses, dental and respiratory concerns, academic and emotional

concerns were assessed in all children. There were four Pediatricians, one surgeon, one homeopathy doctor, one ophthalmalogist and two junior ophthalmalogy residents

of Sion Hospital, staff of Dalwai Nursing Home (DNH) and NHF and three interns who volunteered to help make this camp successfully. Almost 170 children were examined.

All of them were provided free iron, calcium and multivitamin supplements and 29 children were diagnosed with refractive errors. Several children with concerns of dental

issues and anaemia were also identified. Their detailed assessment reports were submitted to the school principal for necessary interaction with parents. Children were

also advised to read health-related posters created for them by Team NHF which were displayed in their classroom. They were provided with separate prescriptions for any

other significant health concerns reported by them. Overall, the health camp was executed successfully; thanks to the team efforts of all doctor-volunteers and

colleagues of NH and DNH. Their feedback about their experience at the camp reflects their satisfaction and joy in helping the happy children, who are truly in

need of such services.

Here is what some of the participants had to say:

• Dr. Barkha Chawla, Pediatrician - “Thank you for letting me be a part of this camp. A well spent Sunday with everlasting memories.”

• Dr. Tanvee Priya, current Fellow in Developmental Pediatrics (2017-2018) - “Wonderful and gratifying experience. It’s always a pleasure to be around kids”.

• Dr. Preeti Krishnaswamy, Fellow in Developmental Pediatrics (2016-2017) - "Was glad of the opportunity, to be part of it. The kids were amazing, if only every

now and then they get a little grooming which is rightfully theirs, they would do so great."

• Dr. Ameya Bondre, Project Coordinator, NHF - “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work in the best interest of children.”

• Ms. Madhumitha Chandrasekaran, Research Associate, NHF - “It was an enriching, learning experience. Glad to have got this opportunity.”

NHF interns, Divya Udyawar, Harshadaa Deshpande and Arya Kadakia also expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to participate in such a noble initiative

for spreading awareness about health.

We are thankful to Dr. Samir Dalwai and YCP for giving us this opportunity and the management of Waghe High School, Colaba, for the meticulous

arrangements at the school. We look forward to many such community activities to reach out to children who need our services.

Our Skating Superstar - New Horizons Little Champ Shlok Madye

skates his way into the record books!

Read Shlok’s story here:

http://www.mymedicalmantra.com/kid-with-adhd-bags-a-spot-in-

various-books-of-world-records/

In the clinic while counseling patients, I see that the amount of stress parents have is not funny! It's about their kids, their education, their social life, their health, their nutrition and so on. And then their own lives are no easier! Their own professional careers, their personal wants, their personal challenges, the constant struggle to stay relevant to their own selves.

Amidst all this, I get a sense that parenting is getting defined in such a different way today. With overwhelming odds and ends crowding the mind, and a sense of responsibility (dare I say guilt) garnishing it, we are moving towards increasing compartmentalisation of life.

Zindagi ke haseen pal ek na ek To-Do list ke tasks bun gaye,Aur har choti-badi baatein ek module se bun gaye hain.

So, when we hear shocking news, say, about child abuse and we feel a chill in our bones, the 21st century "Executive" takes over. We immediately read up "everything about it", look through videos on YouTube and scan "experts" views on the "best" and "quickest" way to get this "module downloaded into our kids"! "Teach them the 'good touch bad touch' module, revise it every third day and just like the geography project on 'Mumbai in the 40s' it's done! Phew…another task completed!"

Nothing wrong with that - but when I've chatted with kids about this - what the 'good touch bad touch' thing means – the observations range from the hilarious to the tragic. Some kids thought it was a drill, some thought it was fun, some thought it was an organ they could play, many were scared and had become suspicious of others, some had stopped trusting…most didn't understand why they were to do it.

No one explained that it was about their choice, no one explained that it was for them to understand relationships and boundaries. Because "explaining to children" is exactly the opposite of what we as adults understand by the term "explaining".

It isn't about speaking to: 1. lay the facts forward and then2. the implementation, and then 3. the monitoring - that's what we do in our Corporate world.

It doesn't work in the children's world. Explaining to a child means letting the child speak about the issue at hand, about anything she wishes to. Not about a "focused" agenda ("Gosh, let me get this done with, we have to get to the maths homework now!")

It means shunning the To-Do list or the strategic approach. Explaining means Exploring! Exploring means Discovering! Discovering means Enjoying!

Did I just say discussion on prevention of abuse with a child can be... Enjoyable?!! Sounds ridiculous, isn't it?!! Well...to us adults…it does. But anything not done in an

On 26th July, 2017, we conducted our 50th Journal Club meeting, in which Dr. Tanvee Priya, current Fellow in Developmental Pediatrics, presented a clinical case of twin sisters with a rare genetic disorder called Sanfilippo's Syndrome.

Through Journal Clubs (JCs), we have presented clinical cases and data at New Horizons on developmental disorders, our studies, as well as external publications. We have been fortunate to receive mentoring by stalwarts like Dr. Rashid Merchant and Dr. Samir Dalwai, consistently throughout these 50 sessions! JCs have improved our understanding of clinical concepts, case presentations, the immense value of 'onset-duration-progress' and the ways to arrive at differential diagnoses. Through JCs, we have drafted and submitted case studies to journals for publication as well as several abstracts/posters for presentation at conferences. Finally, JCs have spurred new ideas backed by evidence, around known conditions. Over the last few months, we have seen a steady growth in JC attendance. We are grateful to each and every participant for the invaluable inputs - internal team members as well as external paediatricians and geneticists who have visited us. You all have enriched our learning! Finally, we encourage you all to volunteer for JC presentations on a case or a topic related to developmental disorders.

Thank you team NHI for providing us with the space and infrastructural arrangements for conducting the JCs. Thank you all for the continued support to Journal Clubs at New Horizons!

enjoyable manner with kids simply does not "get there". To us, it is about preventing a negative thing in the shortest possible interaction (most of us are uncomfortable with this issue)...we begin full of this negativity…and we fail to connect.

To the child, this message about protection is about positivity. As is everything else. It's about acknowledging and respecting their and others’ minds and bodies. It's about them coming to you and speaking freely…about anything! It's about their individuality and choice. It's about love and sharing, albeit with that choice.

It's not difficult. It's just about changing our perspective as adults. Infact, it's entirely cathartic - it's a change from negativity (tasks and lists, among others) to positivity (joy and sharing and love and self esteem). If only we could be more like children... instead of trying, so hard, to make them like us!

FIFTY NOT OUT - JOURNAL CLUB HITS A HALF CENTURY! - BY TEAM NEW HORIZONS HEALTH AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION (NHF)

Click here to visit our Newsletter Archives:

http://www.enablemychild.org/nhg-newsletters/

Dr. Waheeda Pagarkar


A clinical skill is defined as “any discrete and observable act within the overall process of patient care.”

Being up-to-date with current advancement in research and investigative studies, improves clinical awareness and ability, but as developmental specialistswe must also know HOW to interpret the results in front of us – that, which is visible and that, which is beneath the surface (what is NOT reported to us). This is where our repertoire of accumulated clinical skills comes in.

All clinical skills need upgradation: to be improved, to be mastered, to be up-to-date with current trends in research, tools of evaluation and investigation, therapeutic techniques of intervention and goal-setting.

WE at New Horizons Child Development Centre are blessed to have the Founder Director, Dr. Samir Dalwai, devote his valuable time for us every month to clinically train, teach, share, discuss, learn, improve, upgrade and be inspired from!

Dr. Samir Dalwai has regularly and consistently been training the entire Clinical Team from October 2016 to July 2017. So far, Dr. Samir Dalwai has spoken on varied topics like, Case History Taking, Importance of Developmental History, Case Discussions on History Taking, Understanding, Evaluation & Management of Autism Spectrum Disorderand Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder.

Dr. Samir has conducted, in total,7 training segments from October 2016 to July 2017!!

We have had intense discussions with Dr. Samir stressing that one must always start with the Developmental History and keep a checklist of the following domains – gross motor, fine motor, speech-language-communication, social, academic and emotional development of EVERY child we see at New Horizons.

Dr. Samir and the team have discussed and answered the question, “Why is the date of evaluation of any importance?” - we know the time period of the child beginning NHDP with us; it tells us what happened that day - it gives us a temporal association with the patient - the date connects the story to that day.

We have learnt the importance of Head Circumference being the marker of development in a child, the norm being 45 cms at 1 year of age, 47 cms at 2 years of age, 48 cms at 3 years of age and 52 cms at adulthood.

Dr. Samir and the Team have extensively shared their thoughts on the implications of and the relationship between 5 essential parameters – head circumference, birth weight, age, gender and term (pre-term/post-term) during case history-taking and evaluation of a child.

We have learnt and discussed a range of topics like the difference between Atypical and Typical development;Early Detection and Early Intervention; Receptive and Expressive Language; Speech, Language and Communication (Language, being a set of rules and codes used for the purpose of communication, in a meaningful and purposeful manner); Fragile X and other genetic conditions; Importance of Hearing Evaluation; Extent of Media exposure on the environment of the child; Delay and Deviancies in speech, language and communication and the importance of schooling for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder.

Dr. Samir has reiterated to us that New Horizons Developmental Program (NHDP) focuses on not what is abnormal or normal, as we do not Label the child. We focus on bridging/reducing the gap between where the child is functionally, and where he should typically be. Our Clinical Guidelines also stress on what the child has achieved (milestones/skills) and we systematically progress to the next skill level that should be achieved.

NHDP focuses on skills achieved, and what will be the next level of development. And this is important for the parent, as it gives a line of reference. We do not say “this is what I do”, we follow a system, and this system is NHDP, through which we work. We follow the NHDP’s plan for intervention, and not any individual’s point of view or plan. And hence, we have multiple departments working holistically. The Parent Engagement Program (PEP) which deals solely with empowering the parent is a crucial part of the NHDP. We have all understood the New Horizons 6-Step Model, which is the crux of NHDP.

We have understood that joint-attention is not a different aspect from communication; it indicates meaningfulness of communication. Children with Autism have poor joint-attention, hence have poor non-verbal and verbal communication. Dr. Samir has taught us that the ability to interact is important in communication. Due to interaction with people, we learn two important aspects - Human Behaviour and Human Communication. This is important to understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Samir has explained that Documentation is the most important and ethical aspect of being a clinician. It provides a line of reference to the client and the clinician/doctor, which aids in intervention and management of the client at all times.

The amount of concepts shared, learnt and some re-learnt is extensive; but the dedication and passion with which we are trained by Dr. Samir is even more extensive! We thank you Sir for training the entire Team religiously and consistently - we learn so much from you!

TO SIR WITH THANKS! CLINICAL TRAINING AT NEW HORIZONS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (NHD) UNDER THE EXPERTISE OF DR. SAMIR DALWAI - BY MS. GITANJALI PILLAI

Dr. Samir Dalwai, Founder Director New Horizons Group, Conducting Clinical Training


Since June 2015, New Horizons Institute of Education and Research (NHI) has been conducting a program named ‘Teacher Development Program’ (TDP) for teachers of Goregaon English School (GES), Mumbai. The Teacher Development Program is a training program designed for mainstream school teachers to create effective inclusive classrooms. It focuses on the knowledge-, perspective- and awareness-building of emotional and behavioral concerns in the classroom; and skills and sensitization towards an inclusive classroom.

This year, on 7th and 13th June 2017, NHI conducted the third Teacher Development Program – ‘Rainbows in the Classroom’, for 26 teachers from both primary and secondary section of GES.

The TDP focused onfourdifferent topics. On Day 1, Ms. Sandhya Kulkarni, Associate Director, New Horizons Group and Chairman, NHI, explained what we mean by ‘Rainbows in the Classroom’ and how it is important to identify the different colours of the rainbow in the classroom. A few questions were prepared for the teachers around the theme to reflect upon.

The next session was conducted by Ms. Nita Mehta, Academic Head, NHI, who asked

RAINBOWS IN THE CLASSROOM - TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT GOREGAON ENGLISH SCHOOL - BY TEAM NEW HORIZONS INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (NHI)

the teachers to think on the different strengths, weaknesses and challenges (SWC) within the classroom. In the second half of the session, Ms. Mehta helped the teachers to do a SWC Analysis from the points written by them.

The third session for the day focused on a Special Education perspective conducted by Ms. Alaknanda Sengupta, Head – Special Education, New Horizons Child Development Centre (NHD) and Faculty Member, NHI, on Unique Learning Profiles and Customized Learning Programs as well as the use of graphic organizers. Her session explained the importance of understanding a child’s unique learning profile and how academic content can be organized using graphic aids. The first day of the program concluded with an exhibition of Teacher–Learner aids made by students of NHI across the years.

Day 2 of the program focused on the fourth session which was a discussion-based interaction between the teachers and the trainers. The trainers discussed teachers’ questions and then moved on to throwing some light on positive/negative language and the importance of having rules in the classroom. Building on the latter, the teachers were asked to prepare appropriate rules for their classroom in the form of a chart and display it in the school. They were encouraged to think of specific strategies for their classroom and interact with the TDP faculty throughout the academic year to discuss the impact of these strategies. Wishing the teachers of GES the very best!

Ms. Sandhya Kulkarni, Associate Director, New Horizons Group and Chairman, NHI, Addressing Teachers of Goregaon English School

Ms. Nita Mehta, Academic Head, New Horizons Institute of Education and Research, speaking to Teachers at Bright School, Vadodara,

on ‘Managing Adolescents in a Classroom Setting’, on 22nd July 2017

All in One Frame - Training Meetings for Psycho-Educationists

Dr. Rashid Merchant Examining a Child at the Fiftieth Journal Club Meeting

Professors from University of California-Davis (UC-Davis), MIND Institute, USA, Discussing Cases with the Team at New Horizons Child Development Centre, in March 2017

Umbrella Fever!

Lighting the Lamp

Dr. Samir Dalwai Interacting with the Children

Conducting Health Assessments

new horizons group · lead a better quality of life with good speech and communication. ......

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