Our Team

Ms. Ruma Chaturvedi is a Company Secretary and a law graduate with years of experience in the corporate sector and teaching company secretaryship students, but once her son got diagnosed with a disability, she trained herself in the field of special education and pioneered the task of bringing the best international practices related to rehabilitation of special need children to Kanpur. She holds a Masters degree in psychology and a Bachelors in Sp. Ed - Autism from Osmania University, Hyderabad. She is a member of the Rehabilitation Council of India (No. A100791). She is a certified PEERS social skill trainer, a certified Autism Movement Therapy trainer, social role valorisation graduate and is also trained to use Brain gym techniques for children with attention and hyperactivity issues. She specializes in Indian Law related to disability and facilitates "VAYAM", a pan UP parent support group of parents of children with disability. She is also the coordinator for the WHO Caregivers Skills Training Program developed by WHO in association with Autism Speaks, USA which is running in more than 40 countries in the world.

She has been the recipient of various awards for her work in the field of disability and a regular speaker at various National and International conferences advocating inclusion for special needs children and young adults in all spheres of life. She is the Founder Director of Pushpa Khanna Memorial Centre for special needs children at Kanpur dedicated towards empowering kids with special needs through therapies, training and skill-building and sensitizing and creating awareness in society so that it respects and provides equal opportunities to people with special needs. It is one of the few multimodal therapeutic centres in UP boasting of dedicated professionals who have made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of special needs kids. An inclusive school NLK's Disha, also runs on the premise of PKMC to bring the special needs children into the mainstream education.

Our Technical collaboration partner for Special Education wing is Ms. Veena Basu, who is also running an independent multidisciplinary center called BVerve - Brain Vitality for all. Since 1996 in Mumbai. She has over 25 years of experience as a special education teacher in America and in India. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching the Multiply Handicapped from Bombay University, and a Masters in Science, Special Education- Learning Disability from Syracuse University, New York, USA. She has completed a one year program in Narrative therapy from Adelaide; Australia.

Dr. Manish Samnani is a renowned Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, training, and research. A PhD in Occupational Therapy and Gold Medalist in postgraduation, he serves as the Clinical Director of SOCH and President of the Haryana Chapter of AIOTA. He is certified in Sensory Integration, Advanced NDT, DASII, Bayley, and EASI, and has trained parents, teachers, and therapists across India and abroad. Recipient of the AIOTA Professional Excellence Award (2020), he is widely recognized for his contributions to autism, sensory integration,and pediatric rehabilitation.

Dr. Rupesh Kumar ,Speech, language and swallowing therapist ,B.ASLP (Bachelor of Audiology and speech language pathology) Ali Yavar Jung National institute for speech and hearing disability (Divyangajan), Mumbai. MSc. SLP (Masters in speech language pathology),TNMC and BYL Ch. Hospital, Mumbai. A passionate Speech-Language pathologist and an organized individual who works to gain expertise in the area of speech-language pathology with an emphasis on a holistic approach toward assessment and rehabilitation. He aims towards providing the highest quality of work by following evidence-based practice in clinical management. His area of expertise as a Pediatric SLP includes the study and treatment of communication disorders, voice disorders, and feeding issues in children.

Ms. Apurva Bajpayee i s an RCI-licensed Clinical Psychologist trained from the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, an Institute of National Importance. She has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, addressing a wide range of emotional, behavioural, developmental, and psychological concerns. She is trained in various evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches and psychometric assessments, enabling comprehensive evaluation and individualized intervention planning. Her clinical practice focuses on supporting individuals through emotional and psychological challenges while promoting resilience, self-awareness, and overall mental well-being.

Dr. Shamim Alam is an experienced Occupational Therapist with over 15 years of expertise in working with children and individuals with developmental, sensory, behavioral, and functional challenges. He has been associated with reputed organizations including Shaurya Foundation Trust, Akshay Pratishthan, and Potential Therapy Centre. His areas of expertise include Sensory Integration, Motor Skill Development, Behavioral Regulation, and Functional Skill Training. Through evidence- based and activity-oriented interventions, he is committed to enhancing independence, participation, and quality of life for individuals with special needs.