Origin
Our Deva Special School for the Mentally Retarded began to function on the 1st December 1983 at V.M.Chatram, a remote village, 8 kilometres from Tirunelveli, on the way to Tiruchendur with 5 mentally retared children in a rented building, with 3 workers, inclusive of the founder of the school Mr. P. Joseph, special educator for the mentally retarded. Within a year the strength raised to 20. As sufficient accommodation was not available, the school shifted to Perumalpuram.
In 1988 it was shifted again to the own building, constructed at Moontradaippu with 35 mentally retarded children. Moontradaippu is situated on the national high ways from Tirunelveli to Tiruvanandapuram, 18 km away from Tirunelveli junction, very near to Sengulam railway station and Joe Suresh engineering college.
Objectives and activities
As there were very few special schools for the adult mentally retarded persons in our state, we prefer to admit the adult mentally retarded girls and boys. And we accept the severely retarded and the multiple handicapped children those who need custodial care.
Parents from Andra, Kerala and Tamilnadu bring their children here for training. Now the strength is 60. We admit both sex, at all groups without caste, creed and religious discriminity. we give special education, vocational training, occupational therapy, physio therapy, speech therapy, yoga therapy and self help training. We give boarding and lodging facilities to the inmates.