Whenever Jeeja steps out of her house, her 15-year-old daughter throws a tantrum and does not allow the mother to leave her side. A single mother and a daily wage worker, Jeeja had been dependent on her neighbours during the lockdown as her child demanded her attention 24x7. With many offices and service industries resuming regular business hours, parents of children with special needs are finding it difficult to cope with the situation.
A considerable percentage of differently abled children attending BUDS institutions in the State come from underprivileged families with no access to any other space that offers proper supervision. “I can’t take her along as she refuses to wear a mask and she cannot be left unattended at a construction site. Missing school has made her more aggressive,” says Ms. Jeeja.
The State has over 9,000 students with mild, moderate, severe, and profound intellectual disabilities attending BUDS schools and BUDS Rehabilitation Centres (BRC). There are several others who go to private special schools or receive therapy and training sessions at different institutions.
“The government has issued an order instructing offices not to compel parents of such children to attend work. But a majority of the parents work in unorganised sectors. The BUDS schools are conceived as community-based rehabilitation centres enabling parents to work as poverty eradication is an important aspect of the model. But, at present, we cannot reopen the special schools,” says Jomon K.J., State assistant programme manager who coordinates the activities of BUDS institutions.
The schools had introduced some measures to keep in touch with the children during the pandemic, including virtual therapy and e-learning sessions. WhatsApp groups were formed and activities were assigned, but it made no difference to a large section. “There are families with no mobile phones and even if some have priority will be for other children attending regular classes. Also, it is not possible to make them sit in front of a screen,” says a teacher.
According to authorities, it is not possible to open the schools at least for a couple of months because of the pandemic. “Lockdown has disrupted their normal routine and it is one reason for their frustration. Right now, all we can do is train the parents in building a routine for the child and filling their time with a lot of fun activities,” says Neena Shilen.
She says many parents need some counselling to tackle the stress. “Another option is starting customised TV programmes for children in different categories. If they can set aside some time for special children and their parents that will make some difference,” she says.
