“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

Down Syndrome, Autism, Learning Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Challenges, ADHD, etc. are some of the special needs that ICanFlyy, an Institute for Special Needs, caters to. Students come here not only to receive vocational training and build their skills, but also to be a part of a community that is open, non-judgemental, and embraces the idea that being different does not make one less of an individual.

The institute began its journey as a unit of Caring Minds on 15th June, 2015 on the 6th floor of 54A Sarat Bose Road. As it grew by leaps and bounds over two years, the institute was becoming an entity of its own and needed a new address. On 19th May 2017, we moved into our new stand-alone premises spread across five floors. Easily reachable by multiple modes of transportation, ICanFlyy’s new address is 4B Valmikee Street, Kolkata 700026.

From the beginning we have been successfully running a programme for special needs young adults aged 15+. During this journey, we learned many things along the way, and came across ideas and methods which could be implemented from a younger age for better personal development and social integration. In January 2018, we added two new sections – Early Intervention and Pre-vocational to cater to special needs children between the ages of three and fourteen.

Children between the ages of three and nine join the Twinkling Stars programme, children between the ages of 10 and 14 join the Rising Stars programme, teenagers who are 15+ and adults join the Superstar programme. There is no upper age limit and at present our older students are in their mid-thirties and early forties.