Kerala - Kochi   

Caring for those special children

KOCHI: Parents of special children are always concerned about the fate of the children after their time. This makes the very concept of social security the most important point in families which have special children.

P.B. George, secretary of the State Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC), said that even as special schools provide a place for these children, the exclusion from the rest of society harms their growth and acceptance in society. The limited contacts of the families of the special children make it even more difficult for these children to gain entry into society. The first thing that families need to do is to form a natural informal group based on location so that they are able to share their problems and talk about issues.

Self-dependency of the child is an important step, Mr. George explained. Parents, with the help of experts, need to find out what the child can do on his/her own. Eating, walking and doing small errands at home should be practised, if the disability permits. Group Care 10 Kerala, formed with self help group programmes, is a creative parents’ group for rehabilitating the persons with disabilities. Mr. George said such groups are being encouraged to involve in certain economic activity too so that their children can be involved and their commitments made stronger.

These were some of the ideas that were promoted at the three-day workshop on Capacity Building and Leadership Development that was organised here from Friday by SCEC in association with CBM Parivaar Partnership.

Uzhavoor Vijayan, chairman, Vikalanga Kshema Corporation, Kerala, in his address to the group gathered at the workshop from across the State promised to take up projects specifically catering to the special children, if detailed project reports are submitted on the needs of special children. U. Sarath Chandran, district and sessions judge, also spoke.

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