Rehabilitation of Mentally challenged

Rakhi unit images, in house profit making unit of SSS.

The basic difference between a normal person and the mentally challenged is, the latter is incapable of taking decision. Decision taking is one of the most important cognitive function a normal person under takes every moment. For example, should I go or not, shall I wait or move ahead, how much I should eat, how much money I need, shall I telephone to 'X' or not, should door of the room be closed, should I go out for a walk or not etc. These questions may look very simple but in fact, it is a specialized faculty in our cognition centre in the brain. This decision making ability differs from person to person in so called normal beings. Decision making ability really differentiates the personalities. Some persons are slow in making decisions while others are quick. But in any case they do take decisions and thus lead normal life. There quality of life might be directly proportional to there decision making ability. But in case of a mentally challenged person this decision making ability is all most absent in total. Thus a border line mentally challenged apparently looks normal, but the moment he has to decide any thing, he becomes totally non performing or when compelled to take decision will take exactly opposite decision then he is expected of.

This is where it becomes really difficult when you think of rehabilitation of mentally challenged. It is because of this inability of taking decision that mentally challenged need life long support. So when we plan for a rehabilitation unit, we have to think about giving a supporting hand to this unit who can legitimately take decisions regarding purchase, sale, money transaction etc. It is because of this factor that mentally challenged are not self advocates, and some body else has to plead their cause.

The rehabilitation process of mentally challenged is not only pain strikingly long but is very intricate and complex. It begins with identifying the 'ability' of the mentally challenged student, and then a group of 4-5 students is formed. Depending on the " ability spectrum" of this group trades are short listed. Among these trades, it is analysed that which trade is suitable in terms of quantity, quality, optimum profit, raw material availability, market demand, marketing net work we can select, parents compatibility with in the this group etc. We have to break the proposed work in to simpler steps and to see where student's skills match with it or not? It takes lot of time to stabilize each step then only we can move to next step. By the time we reach to the step of optimizing profit for this proposed unit, it will be about 2 to 3 years time. Then the main job of parent counselling starts. As long as this unit is in our campus, in general parents have no problem. When we start talking about handing over this unit to the parent group then real apprehensions start cropping up. We at Sandnya think, parents group should take over. This not only includes financial involvement but parents have to monitor and supervise the day to day activity also. This is where parents try to back out. In first place they are not willing to accept that these mentally challenged can work. Secondly, they are not sure that they can personally supervise and manage the business activity. This counselling takes lot of time and convincing. If the parents ultimately show their inability to take over the unit, then Sandnya Sanwardhan Sansrha has to run and manage the unit. But in such case, the whole financial activity is independent. The net profit earned in this unit is distributed amongst the unit student members. Though we provide infrastructure and man power, we do not charge any thing for this. This unit remains in our control and campus but it is financially independent.

By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS. email: navindesh@gmail.com