Tamil Nadu   

30 NGOs identified to run early intervention centres

SALEM: The Office of the State Commissioner for the Disabled has identified 30 non-governmental organisations to run early intervention centres, which will provide the mentally retarded children with special education and residential facilities.

Each centre will identify 50 such children in the age group of 0-6. The Social Welfare Department has sanctioned Rs.1.58 crore for opening these centres in the districts. Each will receive Rs.5.27 lakh for both recurring and non-recurring expenditures.

The first batch of NGOs that has been identified has started opening the centres. These NGOs need to identify special educators, occupational therapists, doctors and other staff and create necessary infrastructure.

Their selection is provisional, and they can go ahead with the service only the government gives approval based on an assessment of the services they render. The government can assess the performance of these children once in three months and, if it is dissatisfied, can de-recognise the NGOs concerned.

These centres have also been approved under the provisions of Section 50 of the Disability Act, 1995.

The government wants to make mentally retarded children in rural areas take care of their basic needs on their own and to bring about a change in the parental attitude.

A study has pointed out that nearly three per cent of children in the age group of 0-14 are suffering from mental retardation; a majority of them live in rural areas. Such children in urban areas have some advantage through early intervention.

Chairman Ayyapparaj of the Mind Research Foundation, one of the short-listed NGOs, says the scheme will benefit the children in rural areas.

A two-day special training was conducted for these NGOs in Chennai.

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