Mentally challenged and therapy

We have a therapy department and this is efficiently managed by Mrs. Pitale, a Senior and experienced therapist. She is with us since last about 8-9 years. Her involvement with our mentally challenged students is really good. Since she joined us, the progress in our mentally disabled children is remarkable. It is about a year or two back, that she requested for a additional therapist preferably male and who is young. Coincidently with in two three months we came across a young and fresh physiotherapist who was looking for a job. He had already joined a hospital and his day ours were free. When he met me through one of our well wishers, I was indeed successful in convincing him to join us. With in no time he got involved in our work totally and had developed good rapo not only with our students but other staff members also. He started taking interest in sports activity also which was a bonus for us. his personality was good and pleasing, he had good manners and was always ready to learn things. His enthusiasm encouraged other staff members also. He had already told me that he wanted to go abroad for his masters. So he was already working on that line. In last Nov. he got admission in one of the American Universities. After completing the formalities, before leaving his job, his colleagues in SSS gave him send off party. He resigned from his duties in last week of Dec. and went to Mumbai for the visa interview. Unfortunately his request for the visa was refused. He came back to Nagpur. It was almost after a month that I came to know about the visa denial. I sent a message for him to come back on the job till the things are set right. He did not turn up.

In the mean while I learned from our well wisher who had originally recommended him to us, that the boy is in depression and doing nothing. Since he left we were in look for a replacement therapist. Mrs. Pitale was desperate to get one to assist her but we could not get one. It was on 23rd April that I was sitting in my office and at about four p.m., I thought of calling this young man. Fortunately I could find his cell number also and thus rang him. He responded. I said if he is not busy right now he can come over to my office and he came down with in ten minutes. He was surely in a depressed mood. I talked with him for about one hour and he agreed to rejoin his duties with SSS.

Thus Shailesh Pande came back to the place were it was destined. While talking to him, he told me that he is apprehensive in joining back because he feels staff at SSS may find it odd for a person to come back again after resigning. Anyway, it is good for every one, that he has come back. We at SSS always found him to be a asset. Thus it is good for the noble cause of mentally challenged that a person like Shailesh will be working for our mentally challenged students. I am sure, it is not good for us only but it is certainly beneficial for Shailesh also.

Sandnya Srushti- donations solicited for construction

Construction of our main building is under progress. Part of the building currently we are using for special school is in fact the parent relief center part of the building. The proposed schooling part is about 11000 sq.ft. Out of this, at present we have under taken construction of about 2700 sq.ft. This will have 6 class rooms and public facility block. In addition it includes the main staircase for first floor and a elevator as well. The approximate budget for this is Rs.22.00 lacks. This part of the building is connected to the existing block and the whole building is barrier free. Out of this twenty two lacks, we have received about eight lacks and the remaining amount is to be raised. We are thus soliciting donations for the remaining amount from the philanthropic people and organizations. Each class room has a attached toilet. This is because most of our students need a escort for going to toilet. Thus when the toilet is in the class it self, teacher can guide them and thus time is saved. Another thing is, many of our students need to be given toilet training since it is the part of their syllabus. So it becomes easier for the teacher to manage. Giving toilet training to mentally challenged is not a easy job and needs lot of patience.

Mentally challenged and Sandnya Srushti

Sandnya Srushti is our campus which is about one acre. I recall the day, when we shifted to this campus. The one acre campus had no plantation. It was absolutely barren, there were not even shrubs. Only 2000 sq.ft. constructed concrete building. I along with our two students, Annu and Vinu, Bapu, his father arrived on first April 2002. We had no worker here. Bapu used to cook food and I used to assist him. The whole thing was cleaned by me and Bapu. During the first rainy season, we started planting trees, small plants and big trees as well. We at Sandnya had a very clear vision about this. We had visualized a total green campus with lot of tree shadows and lawns. We know for certain that natural environment makes very positive impact on mentally challenged and autistic children. We need to have lot of open space where children can move without physical obstruction and hesitation. Now after 7-8 years, all our visitors and parents of our students always appreciate not only the lush green campus but cleanliness and tidiness all around.

Maintaining this campus in the above referred status is not an easy task. It not only needs lot of attention but it requires good amount of money also. One has to be very vigilant and alert. I always feel that Sandnya Srushti campus is a great asset for us as a organization and for our students as well. The importance of these trees and lush green garden in our campus is felt more intently in these hot summer days. You can spot lot many different kinds of birds visiting our campus for relief from this scorching heat. I can spend any number of ours in this campus with out getting bored or tired. This a place where I get solace and mental peace also. I always thank God that he made us instrumental in making this place sacred and with lot of sanctity.

By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS

website: www.sandnya.org email: navindesh@gmail.com

mentally challenged and open employment

Mentally challenged can be rehabilitated in different ways and rehabilitation has different meaning considering the degree of retardation. There are five different categories of mentally challenged. Like border line, mild, moderate, severe and profound. Apart from this many other things are also to be considered. The five categories mentioned are based on IQ level. But along with IQ we must think about his socialization level, communication skills[ verbal or non verbal], command compliance level etc. In case of severely and profoundly retarded children, it is their social rehabilitation we talk about. In these cases, the main focus is on improving quality of life of the child. Most of these children are very poor in activities for daily leaving[ADL] or self help skills.

But remaining three types like border line, mild and moderate we have few options. one is in a sheltered workshop. Here these persons will work in a group. This group is supervised and controlled by trained personnels. All working people are mentally challenged.

In another type of rehab option, mentally challenged person will work in the factory or office or business establishment along side the normal workers. They will be given a job in which repetitive actions are required and decision making is not involved. This is called as open employment. In this situation, we need to council the employer first, he must understand the limitation of these persons. He is supposed to give work which is always of the same type and there should not be much of variation in the work procedure. He also should understand that there could be few mood swings also and we must bare it. Further, he should take full responsibility of the safety of this person. Then we have to talk to all other workers working in this establishment, these people must be told about mental disability in general and these mentally disabled children in particular. We have to tell these co-workers about the limitations of these candidates and what precaution they are supposed to take while dealing with them. If we do these preliminary things properly then we can expect success in this open employment venture.

The reason I am scribbling about this types of employment of mentally challenged is that, at Sandnya we have got this opportunity for open employment. One of our corporate donors M/s Star Circlips, MIDC, Butibori has given us a offer of employing few of our students from vocational training section. We are through from the first step, i.e. counselling employer. Since the MD and the factory managers and many of the employees of this factory are our donors, there is no problem of convincing. We had a awareness meeting in the factory itself for the workers. So the subject and problem of mentally disabled is already known to them.

I am sure, this will be successful and it will be role model for other prospective employers and other mentally challenged children in this region of Vidarbha.

By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS

website: www.sandnya.org email: navindesh@gmail.com

Mentally challenged and awareness

I have been talking to lot of people through awareness meetings. They are from different back grounds and various fields. But the common thing I note is that, most of these people do not know much about mentally challenged and there problems. Another thing is, almost all of them have seen a mentally disabled person. And this is very obvious also since the prevalence rate is so high that, every one must come across these cases. The prevalence rate is between 2.5 to 3.5 percent of general population. What I feel through these meetings is that, most of the people have a basic instinct of helping these less fortunate children. But many of them do not know how to do it, where to go, which organization they should call on. Many of them think mentally challenged are no more than insane. They do not realize that insanity and mental disability are two different things. One thing is surprising that, no one has ever gone out of meeting venue during my talk. They listen so intently that I myself feel surprised. Weather I am talking to school children or senior citizens, college students or school teachers, lady audience or gents audience, in rotary club meeting or factory workers, doctors or nursing staff, house wives or working women, irrespective of type of group, I have always faced audience who keenly listened to me. Not only that, most of the time, even after I finish my talk, audience does not move in there chairs for some time. They get spell bound. After meetings, most of the time, people wait and talk to me. They have been appreciating my communication skill openly after every lecture I have delivered. I personally do not understand, what makes them listen to me, is it my skill or the subject itself? Subject of mental disability in fact is a dry subject, a bit of depressing. The only possibility of this success could be that , whatever I talk I talk from the bottom of my heart. This I know. When I talk, I realize, I get lost in to this subject. Probably, this must be the reason that my heart talk must be directly reaching to the heart of my audience and they must be identifying themselves with me. What ever may be the reason the fact is that, my awareness meetings on this subject of mentally challenged and there problem are always successful. The success can also be measured by the increasing number of our supporters, direct and indirect. It ultimately helps the noble cause of mental disability.

By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS.

Website: www.sandnya.org email: navindesh@gmail.com

Mentally challenged and autistic

I had an opportunity to attend a workshop on autism and adolescents. It was on Sunday and the main resource person was Dr.Vasudha Prasad from Chennai. The young lady has her own special school in Chennai for autistics since last 8 years.She has done her masters in psychology and then PhD in special education. As usual it was inaugurated by a political person and a businessman from Nagpur.This workshop was organized by a special school for autistics, Sanwedana and Vishwas, a parent body for autistic children.

It is amusing to see NGO's calling so called big people for such programmes. Why can not we think about calling really good people who can motivate us in a true sence. I feel so uncomfortable when a politician and or businessman talking about morality, sincerity and honesty. They try to advice these selfless workers who represent these sincere NGO's. I do not find these politicians or corrupt bureaucrat or a corrupt industrialist at fault. It is we, i.e. NGo's who can not control their temptation of calling such people. Probably it must be with the expectation of getting some financial help or some favour for getting land or some publicity. I might be wrong also. But otherwise I do not find any justification or a valid reason for calling these personalities in such programmes. But probably all other NGO's think in different way.

I did attend the workshop till 12.30 pm. it had a lecture from Dr.Pangaonkar and then by Dr.Mrs.Vasudha Prasad. I felt whatever was talked about autistics, it was with reference to adolescents and that too without mental retardation. Most of the things talked about there were known to me and most of that we are already implementing, and the same things we have been telling to parents of our students also. The point which these professionals do not talk is about differential diagnosis of autism associated with MR or without MR. Unless we are sure that the child is not MR and only autistic, course of approach can not be decided. We are likely to go grossly wrong in our planning, both academic and structural. Whatever I have been reading, it suggests that more than seventy percent children with autism are MR also. In my opinion this associated condition makes the management of these children more difficult and complex as well.

I there fore always feel that if we can differentiate these two conditions i.e. ASD and ASD with MR than, for workers and curriculum planers it will be more focussed. I am eagerly waiting if some one will help us in this regard.

By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS

Website:www.sandnya.org email: navindesh@gmail.com

Summer Vacation for our students

Nagpur summer has already set in and temperature is going up every day. For us at Sandnya it is a tough time. Most of our mentally challenged children find it difficult to cope up with this heat. So our students from care group, pre-primary and primary go on summer vacation from 1st April every year. And the remaining classes will close from 1st May. The school reopens on 15th June every year. Older students from rehab units they have only 10 days holiday in summer.
For mentally challenged, should there be vacations? This question is being asked by many people and few parents also feel that there should not be any vacation. But in our opinion, summer vacation is necessary for various reasons. First and the foremost reason is, mentally challenged children need to stay with their family members during this period. They get opportunity to play with the siblings and peers also.That helps their socialization also and improves their social skills.
Secondly, staff in the school also needs vacation. Managing mentally challenged children is not only difficult but it is very tiring also. And thus staff members also need rest.Though our students go on vacation, there parents are given home work. It is true that learning process in mentally challenged need to be consistent, otherwise they are most likely to forget what ever skills they have acquired. Many of our mentally challenged students do not understand concept of vacation and thus insist for going to school. But there are border line and moderately retarded students, they do enjoy vacations.
By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS
Website:http://www.sandnya.org
Email:http://navindesh@gmail.com

World Autism Day

"Vishwas" is the organization of parents of autistic children in Nagpur. This NGO is launched recently i.e.on 26th of March 2010. World Autism Day was observed on 2nd April all over the world. 'Vishwas' took out a awareness rally from Yeshwant Stadium to Central Bazar Road Ramdaspeth. Rally started at 8 am and was terminated at about 9 am. There were about 100 plus people which included autistic children, their parents, siblings, well wishers, Dr.Pangaonkar, Dr.Bodhankar and many others. Myself and our chairman Dr.RM Uttarwar also participated. It was a good attempt though it could have been organized in better way. But I was told that this was arranged at a very short notice, and looking to this fact, it was good.
By: Navin Deshpande,Sec.SSS
website:http://www.sandnya.org/