MEDIA RELEASE : Safety of children with developmental disabilities in private therapy centres

MEDIA RELEASE

SAFETYof children with autism
& other developmental disabilities
in private therapy centres.

Children with various developmental disabilities are unable to communicate and have various anxiety issues and sensory disorders. Recently, there have been a spate of issues at Private therapy centres where autistic children were restrained with binds to a chair or were beaten, pinched or otherwise terrorized. There was an incident where a child’s arm had a fracture during Occupational therapy by an unqualified therapist. 

In all one on one therapies involving a minor who has problems with communication, it is vital that the parent or primary caregiver accompanies the child at all times. The safety of the child is paramount and presence of a parent can prevent untoward incidences, abuse and psychological trauma. It can also facilitate a better learning environment for these children, who already struggle because of their disability. In Kochi, majority of the therapy centres do not allow parents to accompany the child inside the therapy room. 

Together We Can (TWC)  is an advocacy group started by parents in the wake of such incidents, with the active support of a few professionals who work in this area, journalists and child rights advocates. 

This group had submitted petitions to Child Welfare Commission, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) and other such bodies, requesting for a directive which ensures the child’s safety within a therapy room. On 16th of May, a petition was submitted to the Honourable District Collector, MR. M G Rajamanickam IAS, with the help of the Chairman of the child welfare commission.

With remarkable level of understanding and empathy to the distress caused to the affected children and their families, the Collector called for a meeting of representatives of Together We Can and key representatives from the Social Justice department on the 19th. He carefully understood the issues and directed his office to issue a show cause notice to therapy centres, special schools and other such rehabilitation centres. He also directed the social justice department to conduct enquiries into these centres and to submit a report about how they can all be brought under a single regulatory umbrella.

Timely action by the Collector, who is the final authority for the welfare of the disabled under the National Trust Act, has given hope to the parents of children with neurological and developmental disabilities.