CHENNAI: Until Monish was five years old, his mother K Sri Priya did not know that her child was autistic and needed intervention to correct it. Monish was then enrolled in the Madhuram Narayanan Centre for Exceptional Children, and today, he responds to commands, identifies his family members, friends and neighbours.
Like Sri Priya, there were hundreds of mothers who had a similar story to tell, at the 25th anniversary celebrations of Madhuram Narayanan Centre, on Friday. Speaking to CE, Sri Priya said that she did not know how to handle her son, who was diagnosed with mild autism. “My only thought was that my baby should play like other babies, interact with others, and lead an independent life. Thanks for the training programme, now I know how to handle my child. In fact, I observed a lot of behavioural changes in my child, who is going to complete six years soon,” she said. Vimala Kannan, one of the directors of the centre, said that every mother was given special training on how to involve their child in activities. “Depending on the child’s needs and condition, the mother would be trained. Many of the children have joined mainstream school after a period of training,” she said. The celebrations saw a dance programme by mothers and video presentations of children who were put in the mainstream schooling. Pratyush Kumar, president, Boeing India, was also present on the occasion.