Our psychology work experience in South India focuses on disabled childcare and working closely with special needs children who need our help. Disabilities in children can prevent them from getting the full participation in everything from childhood activities and education to community activities and everyday family interaction.
Having a disability creates barriers and prevents children from growing and developing in the way that they need; additionally, this is further complicated by the social stigmas and negative attitudes towards disabilities often seen in poor communities. Not only do poor families struggle to successfully identify disabilities in children due to ignorance, lack of education and understanding (plus the lack of funding to provide continuous treatment), but many families do not know how to deal with a diagnosis even when they receive it.
Our mental health and psychology program is designed to tackle issues related to disabilities head on and provide psychological help for the kids involved, as well as their families.
Without the appropriate care and attention, it’s very easy for disabled children to become neglected and some families are under strain because they do not receive the right support. Our psychology work program is designed to support not only the disabled child in question, but to also provide support for parents and families to steer them in the right direction.
This program is suitable for anyone interested in working with disabled children. No prior experience is necessary as specialist teachers are on hand to guide you. We also welcome students who have an interest to pursue a career in this field and anyone with a background in working with special needs children or adults.
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What is involved
Based in Kerala in South India, you will be working within a small special needs school in the local area and assisting special needs teachers in their mission to help disabled children learn basic skills in a specialised environment. You will assist with sessions within a multi-sensory room and the children will range from 6 years to 18 years of age. Whilst you will work both under supervision and get the chance to spend one on one time with each child, there will always be local teachers and our staff on hand to help you.
This psychology placement will also extend to other local schools so you can help children who have been identified with learning difficulties within an ordinary school environment. We can also have you join any other program working with women or children in the community of Kerala. Depending on your time on the program we may get you involved with community visits and supporting families of the children we work with. There is plenty of opportunity to shape this placement with your requirements.
We hope that through this placement you can enhance your career development opportunities through invaluable international work experience. At the same time we hope that you can contribute towards helping a much neglected community in India.
Some details
Start Dates are suggested below. We advise you to check with us about public holidays and festivals during which projects will run with limited capacity and at times closed.
| 2024 | 2025 |
| Jan 20,27 | Jan 4,11, 18, 25 |
| Feb 3,10,17,24 | Feb 1, 8, 15, 22 |
| Mar 2,9, 16, 23 | Mar 1, 8, 15, 22 |
| Jun 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 | Jun 7, 14, 21, 28 |
| Jul 6,13, 20, 27 | Jul 5, 12, 19, 26 |
| Aug 3,10, 17, 24 | Aug 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 |
| Sep 21, 28 | Sep 6, 13, 20, 27 |
| Oct 5,12,19,26 | Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 |
| Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 | Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 |
| Dec 7 | Dec 6, 13, |
What your first week looks like
Arrival day
Weekdays
Weekend
Weekend activities
Backwaters of Kerala
Munnar Tea Plantations
Varkala Beach
Taj Mahal
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