‘The initiatives of continuing Education are to mainstream disabled population and children with special needs’-Dr.Nagendersamy,Principal secretary, South Zone Board of continuing Education.

Dr.T.Nagendrsamy, a senior Social scientist, Hyderabad, the Principal Secretary of South Zone Board of Continuing Education and the Chairman of Villagers in Partnership said ‘the initiatives of continuing Education are to mainstream disabled population and children with special needs’ while chatting with Special educators for disabled children. Dr.T.Nagendrsamy visited the 10 days medical camp organized by SEVAI, a Trichy based NGO in collaboration with Equal Health Australia in Trichy District Welfare Committee premises. 67 special educators and seven physiotherapists of SEVAI helped 19 members Australian medical team for reaching around 1500 patients a day, mostly disabled, elderly women and children with muscular dystrophy. Winding up the third day of the Medical camp, the Principal Secretary of South Zone Board of Continuing Education had a chatting with the organizers of inclusive education for disabled, the differentlyabled and children in need, the NGOs are to come forward to reaffirm their commitment for empowering the vulnerable in Communicative Literacy, Community Awareness and Cooperative Functionality.


Dr.Swamy said that Dr.Malcolm S.Adiseshiah, a noted educationist contributed significantly in the area of Adult and Continuing Education. The Tamilnadu Board of continuing Education under the chairmanship of Dr.K.Govindaraju Trichy has been rendering the services and such successful effort is to be adopted in imparting adult and continuing Education with a focus on Equivalency Education, Quality of life improvement, livelihood promotion and personal interest program for disabled persons too. The parents of the disabled children are to take of their children with love and affection and the teachers and public should take the mission of mainstreaming these children with special need. There should not be any discrimination for those children in need.

Special Educator for children with autism, Mrs.Pradeepa Rose said ‘each child diagnosed with an autistic disorder differs from every other and so general descriptions of autistic behavior and characteristics do not apply equally to every child. Still, the common impairments in social interaction, communication and imagination, and rigid, repetitive behaviors make it possible to recognize children with these disorders, as they differ markedly from healthy children in many ways. Many parents of autistic children sense that something is not quite right even when their children are infants. The infants may have feeding problems, dislike being changed or bathed, or fuss over any change in routine. They may hold their bodies rigid, making it difficult for parents to cuddle them. Or, they may fail to anticipate being lifted, lying passively while the parent reaches for them, rather than holding their arms up in return. Most parents of autistic children become aware of the strangeness of these and other behaviors only gradually.

Associate Coordinator of project Dr.Surthi said ‘The most common social impairment is a kind of indifference to other people, or aloofness, even towards parents and close care-givers. The baby may fail to respond to his or her name being called and may show very little facial expression unless extremely angry, upset, or happy. Babies with autism may resist being touched, and appear to be lost in their own world, far from human interaction. Between seven and 10 months of age, most infants often resist being separated from a parent or well-known caregiver, but these infants may show no disturbance when picked up by a stranger’ Other children with autism may be very passive, although less resistant to efforts by others to interact. However, they do not initiate social interaction themselves. Still others may attempt to engage with adults and peers, but in ways that strike others as inappropriate.

‘In adolescence and adulthood, some of the higher-functioning individuals with autistic disorders may appear overly formal and polite. They may react with little spontaneity, as if social interaction doesn't come naturally or easily to them, and so they are trying to follow a pre-determined set of rules. Some individuals with autism have normal intelligence, and many have special talents in areas such as music or memory. However, individuals with autism may have other mental or emotional problems that co-exist with their autism. Some of these other disorders may include impulse control disorders’, concluded Project Coordinator Dr.Deivakumar. –Govin