Brochure of Vocational Training for Mentally Handicapped : Chapter V
SUGGESTIONS
IN LATE MRS. JAI H. VAKEEL’S WORDS (THE FOUNDER DIRECTOR OF ‘SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN IN NEED OF SPECIAL CARE, SEWRI HILL, SEWRI ROAD, BOMBAY 400 033’)
Quoted from her book, “EDUCATING THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED”.
“Each child is a problem, simple or difficult, but sad. It needs an untiring effort to awaken the child who prefers to sit in a corner and plays with his fingers, or to control the restless child and guide him from the path of aimless wandering and destruction to useful occupation. To deal with the child alone does not suffice. It is harder to allay the anguish of parents, to cease their anxiety for their afflicted child; the child for whom, though well past school going age, texts and readers have no meaning, numbers have no value, time and space have no measure and alas he can not even distinguish between light and darkness. It is astonishing, how each littie individual awakens in the midst of love and companionship, how care and understanding can help him to overcome inferiority and grief, anti disappointment, anger or fear; and through occupation, music and play, many a child acquires a reasonably disciplined state of mind becomes useful through work, contented in spirit, sociable and happy.
The success can only be achieved by adapting various methods to the need of these children who vary one from the other immensely more than do normal children.
It is, therefore, that these methods and ways have been suggested in the hope that the message may spread, bring relief to sorrowing parents and many more may be encouraged to take up the work and fulfill the needs of God’s afflicted and unfortunate children who are waiting in every corner of our vast Country for what may be their only chance in life.”