Help a differently abled child go to school by Adarsh Charitable Trust

Due to the Covid pandemic, schools were closed exactly on 10th March 2020 when the Nationwide lockdown announced and are still closed. Adarsh extended online rehabilitation programmes for the children and that still continues. Finding that some children had psychological as well as physical issues due to lockdown, Adarsh planned monthly visits once or twice a week depending on the need of the child. This has really brought drastic changes in their psychological well being especially for those children who were impacted negatively due to lockdown. Almost 95 of the children in Adarsh are from Ernakulam district itself. The home visits helped children who live 10-20 kms in and around Adarsh school. 11 children were impacted with this programme. As mentioned already, all these children were given programmes at their home. Due to lockdown children who cannot come to school, Adarsh took to note that the principle of school goes to the child.

Covid-19 had brought difficulties in travelling to areas where triple lockdown was imposed or due to containment zone. But, there was no alternative for that. We waited till that restrictions were over. For this programme, we do not have any different plan. Home visits will be continued till these problems are over. In Kerala, situation is still not under control compared to other States in India. The second wave impacted severely here and Kerala has still has not overcome that situation. Everywhere schools have started reopening but here it is unpredictable. All of us are waiting for the reopening. Till then we have Home Visits as the only choice.

Impact story: Archana is now 22 years old. She has Intellectual Disability and is hyperactive too. She has problems in speech clarity. It is getting better with speech therapy. She attended all the online programmes regularly. She is functionally independent and does all her personal activities of daily life like dressing, bathing, feeding, grooming etc. independently. She attended dance and music practices and she does them well. Part of vocational training which she is undergoing training now, has made her learn various arts and craft skills, like bottle art, paper bag making etc. She knows numbers and alphabets and can read and write some words. She is very cooperative in all the activities. Her mother is also very supportive. Her father is a auto driver. Covid really affected his job. They have severe financial problems. Due to lockdown, she lost her social activities and showed some irritation and behavioural issues. To overcome this issue, a team from Adarsh visited her home and provided necessary guidance, counselling and training. This was being done on a monthly basis and at times, they were asked to visit school following all Covid-19 protocols. Archana is very happy now.

Since March 2020, as we all know, the whole country was locked down due to Covid-19 pandemic. Since then schools are closed and all the activities are online for these children. Normally children come to school every day in school bus and take necessary training and therapies. Due to covid, that facility was stopped as children cannot come to school during lockdown. It was then Adarsh formed a concept taht, if children cannot come to school, school goes to children. Like that children are given training at their homes along with online live class sessions and therapy sessions. Since the pandemic situation in Kerala is quite alarming, frequent visit was not possible. A child will get this home based rehabilitation programme 2 or 3 times a month. At home, parents are trained to give the necessary training and therapy programmes. For the last 8 months we have been doing this programme regularly and feedback from the parents is overwhelming. This system will be continued till the school reopens after Covid issues.

Transportation facility - a boon for challenged children

Started in 1998 with 7 children, Adarsh now has over 290 children. Of which 188 children are using transportation facility of the centre. This facility as far as the children and their parents are concerned is a great boon as it is very difficult for the parents to bring their children every day to school in public transport system. Since the introduction of school bus facility, the number absenteeism was considerably reduced. Parents could bring their children every day to school.

Program Update

The option of school bus transportation system is provided for helping children to reach school and back home. It is normally very difficult for the parents to carry the children, especially challenged children to school through public transport system due to heavy rush at the peak time. Hence facility of school bus is a great boon for the children their parents. The Trust has 9 vehicles and each vehicle travels around 100-120 kms a day. In total around 184 children are using this facility. Among them, only 38 children who are from very poor financial background are included in this programme. Almost all the children in the programme are having severe to profound physical disability. Parents are always finding it very difficult to carry them and if this bus facility not available there is no other choice for them.

Story from the field

Krishnadas, an adult boy of 28 years of age, affected with Cerebral Palsy joined Adarsh in 2003 at the age of 12 years. At the time of admission, a detailed evaluation was done and it was revealed that he had severe muscle spasm all over his body. He had not sitting balance and no proper head control. Since then, he had been given regular Physiotherapy and other necessary therapy programmes. Due to his severe physical problem, mother had no other choice to opt for school bus facility. Now he is 28 years old and still he comes to school in school bus. Now he studies in secondary level of NIOS syllabus. It is mainly because he has good intellectual skills. He is totally dependent on his mother for all his activities of daily life. But he is very happy to come to school every day and school bus facility helps him a lot for that. As a part of his quarterly goals, Krishnadas achieved independent dressing skill with the help of regular and systematic training.

Program Update

The main objectives of this donation option is to help children to attend school activities everyday by providing them with necessary transportation facility. Around 182 children are using this facility. Of which 60 children are from financially poor family and they need support to use this facility. The facility has produced remarkable changes in children. This is mainly because of the continuous therapy and training they get when they come daily without any break. The facility is provided based on the need and of each child. Each van has a supporting staff to help the children get in and out of the vehicle. As an additional support, parents either mother or care taker can accompany the child in the vehicle. It is a continuous service.

Story from the field

Keerthinath is a child afflicted with Cerebral Palsy. Both his lower limbs and one of the limbs are affected with muscle spasticity. Because of these problems Keerthinath is not able to walk or even move properly. Hence he needs vehicle facility to reach school and back. But due to some technical issues he could not use the facility last year and that caused noted decrease in his functional skills. But this he started using the vehicle facility and is regular in class. Now he is getting regular therapies and training. With that he is able to walk with the support of walker and is very much interested in academic training, He is now following A level which is equivalent to 2nd class. He is very happy and likes to come to school every day. In between he underwent an Orthopedic surgery to reduce the spasticity of his legs. Post-operatively he needs regular therapy and training which he is getting regularly from Adarsh. All these possible because of vehicle facility. He is from a poor financial family background. His father is also a Cerebral Palsy affected person. He has a younger brother. His mother is a house wife. They meet their livelihood with the help of their relatives. His grandparents are also staying with him.