Dr. Bhuvana Vasudeva: A Teacher For Especially Needed Children

Doctor transformed the lives of more than 6,000 children with special needs

Puducherry: To start a day with happiness with the children suffering from dyslexia and autism Dr Bhuvana Vasudevan, a special educator in Puducherry enters her classroom at Bridges Learning Vidyalaya with rejoicement.  Some clap, some hug her and some say, 'Good morning, Madam'.

It's a demanding job as these children with special needs take a longer time to learn. It requires patience and persistence. But Dr Bhuvana is passionate. While taking a good mix of chalk and talk methods and other approaches, she adopts different techniques for different kids.

While talking about her past life, back in the 90s, she gave up her lucrative job with corporates and Kendriya Vidyalaya, to set up her own Bridges Learning Vidyalaya and make a difference in the lives of children with special needs.

Several parents of a child who benefitted from her teaching offered her their place to start school. The doctor has transformed the lives of more than 6,000 children with special needs over the last three decades since 1995.

"I never used to complain to the parent that your child isn't doing well or not studying. We know the child has a problem and we only have to find a solution and make him or her go to the next level. That should be the role of a teacher," says Dr Bhuvana, the founder of the school.

In class XII we met Kasi Prasad, an autistic child who took an active part as Dr Bhuvana taught. His mother S Vijayalakshmi painfully recollected how the previous regular school he studied in, showed him the door as he did not measure up to their expectations.

Now after seven years under Dr Bhuvana's care at Bridges he's all set to join college. Kasi has taken Business Mathematics in higher secondary. He wants to become a business tycoon like Mr Mukesh Ambani.

When asked what steps he plans to take to realise his dream to become like the boss of Reliance, Kasi added "I'd take a series of steps including planning, organising, directing, controlling, motivating, staffing and coordinating".

On his progress, over the years his mother said, “When we go out, he behaves like a normal child. We see a good change in him.”