Overview

Tamana works towards integrating specially-abled children into society. It educates and prepares children to achieve social, physical and financial independence. It raises awareness regarding special needs with the help of print and digital media and conducts research on the training and education of these special children. The organisation runs an autism school, a skill development centre, a kindergarten, and a special education school for the education and skill development of specially-abled children. It provides parents of specially-abled children with legal help. Each of Tamana's centers offers speech, occupational, and physiotherapy, life skills training, computer education, music and dance, weight management and physical fitness, sports and extracurricular activities, counseling, behaviour modification, diagnostics and assessment facilities, and family counseling.

The organisation also runs a teacher certification program. Teachers with a certificate from Tamana can teach in schools specifically for the specially-abled.

The Autism Center-School of Hope is India’s first rehabilitation and research center for autistic individuals, with a special school, sensory integration clinic, early intervention center, diagnostic center, and a research cell for children with severe needs including autistic spectrum disorders and multiple disabilities. This school offers music, dance, and sensory integration therapy, in addition to using sports, yoga, and horse-riding to provide holistic intervention. In addition, it uses approaches such as TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children) and ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) for intervention, and focuses on teaching real-life daily activities, as well as vocational training to older students.

Tamana Special School caters to the individual needs of 115 children between the ages of 4-17. Each student is first assessed by a special educator, psychologist, occupational therapist, and a speech therapist, after which he or she is put into a group of six according to his or her chronological age, mental age, and functional level. The school focuses on the over-all development of each child. Hence, along with regular curriculum for children who can be integrated into regular schools, a focus is placed on computer training, yoga therapy, community service, speech therapy, multi-sensory activities such as dance or horse-riding, networking with other students, and arts.

Tamana Nai Disha, the Skill Development Center, works to ensure a smooth transition from school to the outside world for young adults with special needs. It offers a vocational training program which aims to develop skills and make the students ready for a career in a disabled-friendly industry; provides education, training, and workplace experiences; and builds awareness about career and employment options. In addition, it provides education in the fundamentals of business and economics, the importance of savings, the basics of personal financial management, and related consumer issues. It also offers customized skill training based on students' skill and interest. Some skills that are taught include pottery-making, jewelry-making, textiles printing, paper recycling, clay modeling, baking, and gardening.

Tamana Kindergarten is an early childhood care and education program for children of 2-6 years from economically disadvantaged groups. This program takes place in the 3 schools of Tamana that are not utilized in the afternoon, with the aim of providing holistic development for the children, including health, social, mental, physical, moral, and emotional development. The program aims to provide non-formal education, and hence includes music, dance, art, aerobics, and games into the curriculum, organizes educational trips and picnics, celebrates annual functions and social festivals, and hosts class competitions. In order to promote health, it also conducts regular medical camps for free immunization and health check-ups, provides a free mid-day meal daily, organizes health and cleanliness awareness programs, and provides counseling to parents on health, hygiene, and nutrition.