THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To lend a helping hand to parents whose children suffer from intellectual disabilities, the Kerala Social Security Mission (KSSM) will soon launch an empowerment programme. To be launched in Malappuram on a pilot basis, the programme is part of the Spectrum Initiative, an umbrella project that brings together seven programmes meant for children with intellectual disabilities.
“The programme will train parents on how to take care of their children with intellectual disabilities. To be implemented statewide, the programme will be launched in Malappuram on a pilot basis. We have identified some 2,700 parents who will be trained under the programme,” said KSSM executive director Mohammed Asheel. The participants have been divided into 90 groups in which each group will have 30 parents. The groups will be provided with a four-day training, said Asheel.
“We have finalised a training module in which classes will be taken by physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others. The parents will not only be empowered to identify the talents of their kids but also sensitised about various projects,” he said.
It was in March that Asheel had sent a proposal of the parent empowerment programme (PEP) to the government. In June, the working group meeting gave its nod to the proposal, and on July 31, government gave its administrative sanction for implementing the PEP pilot project in Malappuram at a cost of `44.47 lakh.
Earlier, the KSSM had come out with the idea of setting up a multipurpose art school for identifying the unique talents of special children and help hone them. With such a platform in place, children suffering from autism, cerebral palsy and intellectual disability will not get marginalised.
Children with intellectual disabilities will be able to explore their talents
They will not be marginalised