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SPECIAL KIDS TO GET CARE AT NAIR
 August
20, 2008: For the first time in the
state, a government-run hospital has set up a treatment centre-cum
school for autistic children. The centre at Nair Hospital in Mumbai
Central was opened on Tuesday. Hospital authorities stated the
rationale behind such a centre was that most poor people mistake
autism for mental retardation and send such children to mental
asylums. While there are three-four private schools in the city for
autistic children, their monthly fees are as high as Rs 25,000 per
month, which the poor can illafford. Nair will offer similar care at
a fraction of that cost.
“Autism is a brain development disorder that
impairs social interaction and communication and causes restricted
and repetitive behaviour, all starting before a child reaches three.
Now, we will be able to admit autistic children,” said Dr Alka
Subramanayam, a senior doctor in the psychiatry department.
The hospital will start two batches with classes of threehour
duration each. While the first one will have children between 3-10
years of age, the second one will admit children between 11 and 16.
The two batches will run from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm.
 Paediatricians,
occupational therapists, speech therapists and physiotherapists will
be involved to treat a child and evaluate if he or she is indeed
autistic. To begin with, five special educators aided by volunteers
will teach the children.
There are nine rooms in the school, all of which have been
designed to give the children a feel of different surroundings such
as a kitchen, living room, office, etc. The school will also allow
parents to actually see how their children are being taught so that
they can adopt similar methods at home. The number of students in
each batch will be restricted to 10 so that each child receives
individual attention. (Mumbai
Mirror)
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