Phuket Disabled School
Disabled Children Thailand
The price per person for our Special School placements ranges from approximately 6,300 Baht to 11,100 Baht per week in the high season and from 5,000 Baht to 7,250 Baht per week in the low season, always depending on the duration of your stay.
Volunteering to assist with disabled children is a valuable and worthwhile way to spend your time overseas. Our affordable long-term volunteer placement at the Kathu Special Education Center in Phuket, Southern Thailand, provides a safe and educational haven for disabled, autistic, and deaf children from ages four to sixteen. The school aims to provide the children with a caring and stimulating environment to help them reach their potential in life. The school cares for around 25 children who come to the school on a daily bases from the surrounding area.
Location
The school is located in the district of Kathu, on Thailand's largest island, Phuket, on the stunning Andaman Coast. The school is only a 30-minute ride from picturesque Phuket town and around 20 minutes to the famous beaches of Patong and Kamala. Volunteers can take local transport to explore around the island. There are several small shops near the school and plenty of local restaurants for you to savor the local dishes in the mornings and evenings.
Activity
Upon arrival, an Andaman Discoveries coordinator will introduce you to the staff at the center, show you to your accommodation, and make sure that you are settled before starting classes. You will be assisting the teachers at the centre ensuring that the children receive the attention that they need. All the children learn together as much as they can, spending time in classes aimed at developing their social skills such as arts and crafts, life skills, dancing, reading, and meditation. With the help of the volunteers, the children can receive dedicated attention which will help the children get the most out of the day. The school has tools and equipments to meet the children's special needs.
Sample Daily Schedule
| 07.30 | Arrive at the center in preparation for the children’s arrival |
| 08.00 | Raising the flag and singing the national anthem |
| 08.45 | Music and dance classes in small groups |
| 09.45 | Break - distribute milk and biscuits to children |
| 10.00 | Continue classes in small groups |
| 11.20 | Lunch - assist children to eat and have lunch with other teachers |
| 12.30 | Nap time for children |
| 14.00 | Assist teacher with one-on-one lesson with children |
| 15.00 | Children return home |
Program Availability
You can volunteer at the school for two up to four weeks at any time except for public holidays when the school is closed.
Our Prices Include:
- Donation to the school
- Lunch in school
- Accommodation in the area
- One-way transfer from Phuket International Airport to the school
- Financial contribution to regional social and environmental projects
- Support from bilingual Andaman Discoveries staff
- 7 percent Value-Added Tax
Our prices exclude:
- Flights and visas
- Vaccinations and travel insurance
- Expenses outside of school
- Transfer from the school to your next destination
- Other personal items and expenses
Skills and Qualifications
Both skilled and unskilled volunteers are welcome at the school, as everyone has a valuable contribution to make. Skilled volunteers can share their expertise and wisdom with the staff and children. Non-skilled volunteers can provide the individual human contact that overworked staff may be unable to provide on a daily basis.
We ask that all volunteers are:
- comfortable with and enjoy working with children and teenagers, especially those with special needs
- open-minded, proactive, and patient
- willing to accept new ideas and be respectful of different cultures
- independent, mature, and flexible
- willing to learn some basic Thai
The children do have special needs and sometimes they may scratch or pull your hair unintentionally. You have to be mentally prepared for these incidents.
Food and Accommodation
Accommodation is basic but clean, comfortable and close to the school. Volunteers will have a bed, pillow, blanket and fan. Lunch is provided at the school and you will eat with the staff at specified times. There are local restaurants within walking distance for breakfast and dinner.
Flights and Transportation
Transfer will be arranged from Phuket International Airport to the school. Our coordinator will introduce you to the school staff and the children. Public transport (songtaew) is available for independent travel to shopping center, movie theatre, the beaches and other regional attractions.
Safety and Insurance
You should consider purchasing a travel insurance policy, which includes medical emergency. Make sure that all activities you plan to do both with us and in your own time are covered. Some activities, such as diving, are not covered by some insurers.
Support materials
We encourage our volunteers to learn some Thai words as well as to teach some English during their trip. And we have developed a Thai-English phrasebook and we highly encourage you to print it out and use it during your stay in Thailand.
Previous volunteers have developed a useful homestay pack with flashcards, which you can print out and laminate before you leave. It will help you communicate with the local people and it contains ideas for games and activities.
Request a quote or enquire about this volunteer option.
