Brochure of Vocational Training for Mentally Handicapped : Chapter IV
GENERAL :
The Vocational Training Programme may include many crafts and small industries found suitable under local conditions. It has been estimated (approximately) that these students who have been trained to do productive work, may be able to work in an open employment or outside jobs provided the employer guarantees protection.
The students whose I.Q. is 50 to 70 points and mental age is between 5 to 7 years, can be trained to do productive work,
as well as semi-productive work in a Sheltered Workshop, under supervision, guidance and help.
The mentally handicapped students of LQ. 35 to 40 and mental age between 3 to 5 years could be trained to do work under sheltered conditions. The work may not be so productive but it would be essential to occupy his mind and his time which would otherwise be spent in loneliness and frustration and might cause emotional disturbances to such an extent that it not only harm the student himself but also his family. Society would have to face another added problem to deal with.
, The students whose I.Q. is 35 and below, can still be trained to do perhaps very useful work in home and kitchen, in garden
and field for even the lowliest mind will respond to the training, if given with kindness.
However, it is a fact that a mentally handicapped person (Profound, Severe and Moderate) has to be under supervision in
any field of activity. Many times he needs protection too. There are no two thoughts about it.
The mentally handicapped persons who are under MODERATE grade of intelligence, have many jobs which are safe and can be carried out by them but under supervision in an open employment. Such persons are few in number. But, ‘Mild and Boarder-line’ grade of students can work in open employment situations, provided the jobs are safe and not hazardous. The student-worker should be acceptable not only by the Management of the concern, but also by the fellow workers and by the community. These safe jobs should be reserved for them in the open employment. Of course, the training institute should examine the working conditions where such students/workers will be absorbed, and it should see that the student/worker settles down well. The Management of the Training institute should make it a point to depute either an experienced supervisor or a Clinical Psychologist or a Social Worker to visit the student/worker and the Manager of the concern, time to time to find out, to what extent he has settled down to his work and to assess his efficiency, punctuality and regularity in attendance. if there is any problem in his working place or with his fellow workers, the psychologist or the social worker, deputed for this task, should counsel the student and adjust him in his work, accordingly.
THE JOBS ARE :
(i) Office Peon
(ii) General helpers in any Government Institution (iii) Hand-loom Weaving
(iv) Amber Charkha Spinning under Khadi & Village Industries (v) Packing in any Medical Stores or in any Pharmaceutical concern or/and
(vi) Any repetitive work which is safe.
There are students/workers, of course a very few of them, who do not like to work at all. The reasons may be many. One of the reasons is that, ‘it is below his dignity to do such work or to do any type of manual work’. He prefers to sit down. It is observed that such students/workers are from upper socio-economic class families. They generally create such problems, but they are of a temporary period. In due course of time, in the working environment, he does settle down to a particular work.
Some problems are faced while working with epileptics, student/workers with loss of vision and some other students who want to do productive work but are unable to do so – and these have to be tackled accordingly.
In such cases, they should be kept in the working environment and kept occupied by giving some sort of work – where they get a minimum chance to sit. A small incentive may be recommended for them to motivate them to work. In due course of time (may be within 2 to 3 years), they may be motivated to work as a general helper. It is for the supervisor to create an environment to absorb them in work as there are so many types of work, which are simple and which they will be able to do easily. It is the Supervisor, who with tact and kindness, and at times with firmness, can place them suitably. It is certain that constant encouragement and payment of incentive to them, will help them settle down to their respective work and definitely give a meaning to their lives.
With very little investment, there are quite a few things which both boys and girls can make, e.g., Writing chalk sticks, candles, incense sticks, envelopes etc. They can also do screen printing on cards and envelopes etc. No doubt Pottery is a bit difficult for them to make, but there are many other related works or preparations involved such as, cleaning of the earth and preparation of clay and later on colouring, drawing and painting the pottery, They can also give general help in the garden and firm, such as, gathering flowers, vegetables and fruits and carrying them to the respective flower, vegetable and fruit stalls or stores, making of greeting cards and arranging them in dozens and supplying them to the customers etc.
Before starting to train any boy/girl in any vocation, the instructor should try to follow the steps mentioned below : These rules (steps) have been established by experience.
(1) Do not order boy/girl/trainee to do any work directly in the beginning, such as, ‘come here and do this work’
(2) Let the trainee move around the workshop. Let him see the work that other boys/girls are doing, A watch has to be kept
on him when he moves from one department to another. The indirect aim is to get him used to the working environment.
(3) Never shout at him/her to get him/her involved in any work.
(4) Let the training start from the simplest task or work (from broad activity)
(5) Never punish any boy/girl when he/she makes a mistake.
(6) Encouragement and/or praise may be given for even a slightest improvement and achievement.
(7) A line may be drawn between, workers of better motor ability and sight and with others, and accordingly the training programme may be planned.
8) A ‘sense of achievement’ is to be developed in them. It is very important to note that this ‘sense of Achievement’ has to be developed in each and every mentally handicapped person, while he is at the ‘Training and Apprentice period’.
Thus when Vocational Training is imparted systematically in a meaningful and constructive productive work, the mentally handicapped could be redeemed from an abject existence to lead
a useful life with self respect in home and in society, and contribute their mite to the family.
Hence, “Vocational Training” leading to “Rehabilitation” becomes the, “be all and end all”, of the education of mentally handicapped persons.
“Those who are habitually employed in finding and displaying faults are unqualified for the work of reformation. Their minds are not furnished with patterns of the fair and the good, and they take no delight in the contemplation of those things. By hating vices too much they come to love men too little.”
English Statesman and orator – Burke