Mentally challenged and Summer Camp- concluded

1] Our students in Krishna Temple.

2] On play ground, trying cricket.

3] Padmanabh trying tabla at leisure time.

4] During evening walk.

5] Music and dance in our hall.

6] Punit Mishra try his hands on giving water to plants in our campus garden. He had a 3 year old child's expression on his face while holding the water pipe. Probably he was experiencing this for the first time.

7] The youngest, Shubhankar

Bidkar helping Punit Mishra in putting on his teashirt button.

8] Our employee Nilesh helping Padmanabh during bath.

9] Principal of SSS shaves Aditya Jogalekar.

10] Summer camp inmates.

11] Summer camp inmates.

12] This is during dinner time.

Yes, summer camp for our 10 mentally challenged students concluded on Monday, the 10th May'10 at 4.30 pm. We had a small function involving parents of these children and all our staff members. Mr.Alok, our recently promoted Principal conducted the proceedings. He did fairly well. Though there is lot of scope for improvement. He is off course learning. Mr. Alok talked for about 15 minutes and was following the points he had on his pad, a good habit indeed. He still does not give hundred percent eye contact but he is improving in this deficiency also. I know he needs improving his vocabulary for English and Hindi as well. Alok presented the overall formate of the camp including its objectives, daily routines, his observations and suggestions to parents for the better daily management of their mentally challenged ward.

Dr. Shailesh Pande presented the BMI [ body mass index ] of these children. He gave figure at the beginning and and at the last day of the camp. It was a interesting scientific data.

It was my turn to summarize the proceedings and the camp activity. I told parents that, me and Dr.Uttarwar being there in the camp through out, think that either we under estimate the child or in some cases and for the same child in some specific instances we over estimate the same child. Both the things are wrong. In the first place, we must learn to give sufficient time to the child to perform a particular task. And this time factor should not be as per our need but it should be as per the childes response time. Secondly, we must take care of giving enough number of opportunities also. I told them that, in first few days we also committed mistakes and than quickly realized and corrected it. Most of the participants performed when ever they were asked to do a act. In my opinion and through my observation I feel, mentally challenged and autistic children can perform provided we are seriously committed in giving them time and opportunities.

Our staff did a wonderful job. The whole thing went as per the plan and schedule. The power shut down for Wednesday from 6 am to 10 pm was the worst part of the camp. Though we have a power inverter, it can be used for couple of tube lights and a fan or so. My self and RMU are seriously thinking for a silent gen set. It is not only on Wednesdays that we have shut down but on many other days also there is a power break down as well. In general,our mentally challenged students have a very short attention time span and in addition if there are such power interruptions or failures or shut down then they are further disturbed and there performance is affected adversely. Mentally challenged severely lack adaptive skills and are simply at a loss to adjust to such situations like no power. Thus we are now exploring the option of having a 5KV silent gen set.

Most of the parents did accept that, they never believed that there ward can manage him self with out his parents aid. They were repeatedly asking us about what sort of problems we faced in managing there mentally disabled child during these last seven days. I personally feel that the hectic daily routine of parents and there life style preferences really matters as far as progress of their mentally challenged ward is concerned. It is our priorities which makes all the difference in our own life and its quality. It is like one prefers partying often to over come his woes and worries and other person will prefer doing meditation for more number of times for over coming the same problem. This same priority principle is applicable to the problem of mentally disabled and there parents as well.

By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS

Website: www.sandnya .org

email: navindesh@gmail.com