Since the residential quarters of the Sister working with the mentally handicapped children, along with two large bed rooms for boys and girls separately, already existed, it was easy for us to form our own independent community with Sr. Bernadette as our first Superior. Our Community was inaugurated as Miriam Community on March 19, 1988, Feast of St. Joseph.

We were established as a separate Society with the name Miriam Society. We took our blessed Mother as our Patron since it was the year dedicated to her.

The remaining one wing was built in 1991 financed by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of India. On the recommendation of Archbishop Eugene and through Rev. Fr. Franklin, Indien Hilfe, Germany, gifted to us the generous sum of Repees 6, 00, 000/- for the building and furnishing. At the same time the Government of Germany, through its Embassy in New Delhi financed the build up of the playground in front of the school. Again we sought and obtained permission from the President and Managing Committee to construct a Therapeutic Gymnasium for the all round development of our students. Caritas Germany, through Caritas India, New Delhi financed the structure to the sum of Rupees 13, 80, 700/- : the remaining Rupees 6,00, 000/- we raised ourselves. The Sports Equipment for the Gymnasium was financed by State Bank of India and the Body Building Equipment was financed by the Government of Ireland, through its Embassy in New Delhi. It was formally opened and blessed by His Grace Archbishop Pascal Topno S.J. on March 19, 1998.

We continue to keep the original character of a charitable institution. Since the department of Social Welfare gives the salaries of the teachers we impart free education to all of our students. In our hostel we can accommodate 107 students, 432 girls and 64 boys. At all times 40% of these are free and 10% on concession.

We have always aimed high in our efforts at rehabilitation of our students with Mental Handicap. At every opportunity we have lifted the ceiling of limitations on them. We believe that in Miriam School for the Mentally Handicapped ‘we have remained true to our commitment to be ‘a strong bridge from uselessness to usefulness, from hopelessness to hopefulness, from despair to happiness’.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

MIRIAM SCHOOL: Is dedicated to the Rehabilitation of Mentally Handicapped Children.

• THE DIRECTIVE TEAM: The various phases in the process of Rehabilitation are planned controlled and modernized by a team of specialists in the respective sectors of:
          
• medicine                    
• psychology,               
• pedagogy         
• sociology,                 
• rehabilitation

For the children deprived of home environment, and those whose family is far away, the school provides boarding facilities. In this case, the treatment is organized in view of a particular therapeutic and educative function: to give the child a stimulating surrounding for intellectual, affective and social development, and the possibility of attaining or recovering their affective balance. This is achieved with the help of organized groups and an educator able to assume a real therapeutic function.

The children who have a family go home periodically in order to maintain contact with their parents, and to give them a sense of security and belonging. Presently there are 110 residential children. The “day-scholars” attend the primary or nursery classes and undergo the appropriate rehabilitation treatment. These are 96 in number.

EDUCATION :
All children attending Miriam School present difficulties of learning at school due to intellectual deficiencies, handicap of movement, lack of experience, sectorial blankness and sensorial inferiority.

Classes are held, in general, daily and on individual basis when and if possible. The plan of helping the child is organized in such a way as to take into account the over- all needs of the child. The daily exercises in the various sectors are planned to avoid useless fragmentation and scattering. The most suitable methods are applied to every child according to their clinical condition, and designed to obtain their more effective co-operation.

The treatment takes into account pre-scholastic education, nursery school, preparatory classes, and the complementary instruction which is of fundamental importance for the development of personality and the utilization of inner talents: singing music, expressive activity, etc.

The programme is for children who have the possibility of openness. In the course of the experiment, a different programme may be drawn up which could be more “Adhoc” for low I.Q. There are not set levels to reach, but every child is made to give of their best according to:

1. Their ability,
2. The level already attained with regard to individualism

Almost every alternate year four to six of our Miriam School students for the 5th Class Public Exam. Conducted by the Secondary Board of Education in all the States of India. They compete in all the subjects, Hindi Language, General Science, Social Studies, Mathematics. So far all of our students have passed in first or Second Division. Of course they take a greater number of years to prepare and are much above the chronological age of 11 years, of students of normal intelligence. Our students average 15 to 17 years chronological age.

In 6th Class the additional subjects Sanskrit, English and Higher Mathematics are introduced. So far none of our students have been able to clear this exam inspite of intensive tutoring.
For the residential children the rehabilitation is not limited to the class time only, but it is continued through-out the day by close monitoring and the use of equipment meant to complete and continue the treatment oriented to the cure of behavior, to functional recuperation, and eventual autonomy of the person. Where and when possible, the co-operation of the family is much desired.
The collaboration of Principal, Teacher, Medical Staff, Matron, Aides etc. is essential for good results. Hence frequent meetings and discussions are held.


PREPARATION FOR WORKING ACTIVITY
Manual activity supports the school activity. It is an important factor for the development of the capacity of expression and creation. In due course it acquires an autonomous importance all of its own, a true and proper preparation for work, accustoming the child to live with the process involved. Preparation for work is a therapy by itself; it helps the child to develop a sense of reality, giving them the desire and the pleasure to be useful.

The various activities are-

1. Participation in the upkeep of the house which helps the child towards adaption to the environment.
2. Cooking, which develops skill in self maintenance and cultivates consciousness of wholesome diet.
3. Craft activities: art, needle work, painting, drawing, toy making etc; that help creativity;
4. Gardening which gives experience of contact with nature.

It must be clearly understood that all work is a therapeutic modality.
Another realization being brought to the awareness of educators of the handicapped is the need for extensive physical exercise for stimulation of the brain functioning. In the past few years a number of theories have promoted the relationship of poor perceptual –motor or sensory-motor skills to those having learning difficulties. There is strong evidence that links the importance of specific perceptual-motor experiences to the quality of one’s intellectual performance. So since we conclude that there is significant proof that gains in motor proficiency through physical education programmes, have been linked to increase in measured intelligence and if we may add, personal and social adjustment, we in Miriam School for the Mentally Handicapped cashed in on this rich vein of possibilities for our children. We have a well developed outside playground for our children. We also have a large indoor Gymnasium. We have equipped it so that we can sympathetically monitor our physical education programme with extra awareness, concern and flexibility to meet the needs and capabilities of each child. Miriam School has become part of the International Special Olympics family.
The ability to appreciate beauty and to create beauty is essential to happiness, to the enrichment of one’s life. Surrounding our children with beauty and helping them to create it in are, dancing, singing and drama is our privileged way to tell them that their presence is necessary to create happiness for others and in others.
We also make our children aware of their spiritual dimension and how to live it. The condition of innocent suffering, of being in continual need of others, of inferiority on the human level, could well lead to rebellion, aloofness, despair. When such children are guided, with great delicacy and true love, towards their own identification as a PERSON specially LOVED by God, having their place among the children of God, proceeding along with all others towards the realization of the world, we can see “blooming” in them the institution of an unexpected depth: spontaneous acts of generosity and kindness, fruits of an authentic holiness.
The School has almost all the specific equipment technically needed for the development, education and training of the child.
The specialists give individual attention to the child and regulate beforehand, the most precise and timely help possible. All help, however, even the most technical, is unified and co-ordinated according to a plan that takes the child as a whole and guides them to solve their own problems like anyone else:

1. to realize and to accept oneself;
2. to be on good terms with others;
3. to understand the world outside;
4. to communicate with others;
5. to know that one is useful and wants to be so;
6. to look after ones own  person.;
7. to control ones body while pursuing health and security.
8. to appreciate beauty, ad as a crowing glory;
9. to realize and to live ones own supernatural dimension.

This is what our Miriam School is attempting to do. To offer the child in difficulty a human, spiritual and material environment, the stimulus and the necessary help, so that they may find themselves.
As someone has well put it; “Rehabilitation is a bridge spanning the gap between:

1. Uselessness and usefulness;
2. Hopelessness and hopefulness;
3. Despair and happiness