Mumbai, September 25th, 2025: As mainstream schools across Maharashtra and India are looking at ways to become more inclusive and be able to cater to neurodiverse students through the regular classrooms, Sri Aurobindo Society has taken the lead to establish a Centre of Excellence for inclusive education at I.B. Patel Municipal School in Goregaon, Mumbai. Through Project Inclusion, the initiative provides a comprehensive model that integrates early identification, teacher training, and therapeutic interventions for students with learning difficulties across three schools in the city.
The Centre of Excellence will serve not only the host school but also Kendriya Vidyalayas in the neighborhood (Colaba), in addition to extending the training infrastructure to further schools in the district. A multidisciplinary team of clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, and special educators has been deployed to address all possible behavioral, skill and practical challenges in creating a truly inclusive environment for neurodiverse students. The team offers therapy support, assessment tools and psychometric testing, training and support for both special educators and parents and computerised assessment.
The Centre of Excellence has already held multiple special education sessions, psychotherapy sessions and occupational therapy sessions for special educators, neurodiverse students as well as the students’ parents. Sri Aurobindo Society Rupantar is working with the Kendriya Vidhyalayas alongside the BMC. As part of the program, 90% of Kendriya Vidhalaya Colaba No.1 and KV Colaba No.3 teachers in Mumbai have been sensitised and 408 of the KV students have been screened and enrolled into the program.
Teachers have been trained to identify students with learning difficulties using the Project Inclusion app and Learning Management System. Over 800 domain-specific intervention plans have been created to guide teachers in supporting students directly in classrooms. Notable progress has been observed in students’ cognitive, behavioural, and social development. Parents have shared encouraging feedback, highlighting improvements in speech, attention, and peer interaction. Outreach efforts, including counseling and one-on-one remedial sessions, have built a strong bridge between school and home support.
Dr. Simmi Mahajan, Chief Program Officer, Project Inclusion, said, “The journey in Mumbai reflects how structured intervention and trust-based collaboration can create real change. Our focus is now on deepening impact and replicating this model across other urban districts. We are grateful for the support received from the KVS, the BMC and our funding partners to extend Project Inclusion and create a Centre of Excellence in Mumbai. Achieving true inclusion will only be possible with the joint efforts of all stakeholders.”