Shane is a 5. He was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 and at first he had a hard time getting his aggressive behaviour under control. Since starting school at the Aram Learning Studio in Tacloban, Shane's come a long way, but Typhoon Haiyan damaged the school, and now it's closed. There aren't any more schools for children with disabilities in the area, so at the moment Shane isn't getting any help. This project will get shane the services he needs by helping us re-open the school.
Children with special needs like Shane are among the most vulnerable members of society following a disaster. Even in the best of times autistic children in the area received little or no government help. Prior to the Typhoon Shane's parents, and families like them worked together to meet their kids' needs, but Haiyan has now crippled their livelihoods. Parents are now struggling to meet kids' basic needs in the wake of the disaster, so Shane's special needs risk being overlooked.
The school has sustained structural damage, lost all of its supplies, and been inundated with mud. We'll repair the damage, replace lost supplies, and clean and repaint the building. This work will allow the school to welcome Shane and 29 other kids back into her specialist classes. A Special Educational needs trainer will help Charine, and her teachers, help the children cope with the extra stress that the disaster has brought.
Without the support of the school Shane and children like him in Tacloban would receive no education at all, let alone any tailored to meet their unique needs. Without an education, the future would be bleak for Shane and his classmates as their parents struggled to survive in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. By investing in the most vulnerable of Tacloban's children, Charine's school will change these children's futures, allowing them to become full members of the society.
