About
Farm Hill Education Trust is committed to working in the areas of Education, Neurodiversity and Community.
We aspire to build communities of support that ensure right education for children, and be inclusive of neurodiverse people.
Inspiration
The inspiration to start Farm Hill Education Trust arose from a deeply personal journey. The core team of founders, Chithra and Venu, began as parents of an autistic child diagnosed in 2010. Our experiences navigating the challenges and gaps in the existing education system-especially for neurodiverse children-motivated us to seek alternatives that could better serve both neurotypical and autistic children.
We observed that mainstream education was not adequately meeting the unique needs of either group. This realization led us to believe that education must be reimagined to include and support all kinds of learners, particularly those whose neurologies differ from the majority. Our work with Sambhavam, an ABA-based therapy center in Bangalore for early intervention and parent training, further reinforced our conviction that neurodiversity should be embraced, not “cured” or erased.
Farm Hill Education Trust was thus conceived as a necessary continuation of our advocacy and practical work in the field of autism. As founders, we wanted to create a learning environment where every child’s individuality is respected, and where inclusion is not just a principle but a daily practice. We are driven by the belief that “different” is not “less,” and that both children and their families deserve educational spaces that help them understand themselves and each other.
Core Values
Farm Hill Education Trust is guided by several core values that shape its mission and daily practices:
Inclusion and Neurodiversity: The Trust is committed to building communities that are inclusive of neurodiverse people, recognizing neurological differences like autism and ADHD as natural variations of the human genome rather than disorders. This perspective underpins our approach to both education and community life.
Community Support: Farm Hill aspires to create supportive communities that ensure the right education for all children, especially those who are neurodiverse. The emphasis is on collective learning and mutual support among children, adults, and families.
Holistic and Nature-Based Learning: Learning at Farm Hill extends beyond traditional curricula. The community values learning together about themselves, each other, and the world, in a close-to-nature environment where the farm, kitchen, and community serve as classrooms.
Awareness and Understanding: The Trust believes in helping both neurodiverse individuals and the broader community make sense of themselves and each other, fostering greater awareness and understanding of autism and neurodiversity.
Education for Life: The focus is on equipping learners with skills for life, not just for making a living. This means moving beyond fixed curricula and predetermined timeframes to foster lifelong learning and adaptability.
These values collectively drive Farm Hill Education Trust’s mission to create inclusive, supportive, and holistic educational environments for neurodiverse learners and their families.