All children can 'make believe'

Where commitment and love meet needs:

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

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Dissuasion is not in the annals of this dedicated team of teachers with a special aptitude.

To them each precious moment with these intellectually impaired children and young adults is a challenge to bring out the potential in them: and it is another day of fulfilment ; a milestone of achievement and simply the satisfaction of having touched the lives of many who walk through the doors of this school is all that matters ; it is one school among the few in Sri Lanka that has undoubtedly established that there can be no impediments to a child's achievement: "all children are indeed special."

Not far from the heart of Colombo, in the shady environs of 45/3 Chitra Lane, Colombo 5 is the Chitra Lane School for the Special Child and the Chitra Lane Children's Resource Centre which has come a long way having stood the test of time since 1968 supporting over 2,500 children and young adults with special needs between the ages of 5-22; children with Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral palsy and those with multiple disabilities including sensorial impairments and learning difficulties from across Sri Lanka.

A school that has grown in stature despite its financial constraints; the brainchild of Mrs Delysia Gunawardena has no doubt added "Colour to the life of these children," an individual who set the most powerful weapon on earth, the human soul on fire to change common perceptions centred around capacity building of intellectually impaired children .

"Blessed be the hand that prepares pleasure for a child, for there is no saying when and where it may bloom forth" is portrayed in its true sense at the Chitra Lane School if you would care to stop by where these children and young adults are taken through a professionally guided curriculum which is available at very affordable cost to support the needy.

The curriculum at all three levels in the three languages is intensely centred around educational programmes which will sooner or later help them join the main stream of employment and society.

Among its wide spectrum of supportive care schemes, the school grants small incentives to mothers of these children so that they may generate an income for themselves to engaging in funding urgent corrective surgeries for the needy children and even an inhouse modernized medical room where many consultants and general physicians visit to add value to the supportive care rendered to these children.

Sponsored by Linearaqua, a MAS Company which is presently associated with the Chitra Lane School it was revealed that eighty three per cent of these students are from extreme poverty stricken backgrounds and 150 of them have received private sponsorships while the school provides for the rest with the donations received from well wishers.

One interesting thing I observed was that as a source of encouragement to attend school the students travelling too is being reimbursed, on condition that there is an 80 per cent attendance. Amazingly, there is good rapport and parent cooperation especially from the lower income group, I learnt.

To express their feelings in print media in word or art forms the children even have a quarterly magazine 'Senehasa' produced by the students.Twenty teachers' salaries are paid with help from the Social Services Ministry but much more is required to meet the needs of the children; the well designed educational curriculum says it all.

Interestingly, The Chitra Lane School follows their own special education curriculum divided into junior, intermediate which incoproates self help and life skills which in turn enable an individual to function independently.

Overall language skills, numeration and problem solving skills, environmental studies, physical education (sports including swimming), creative arts (music, drama and art) and extra curricular activities such as scouting, guiding and school band ) while at senior levels in addition to the subjects covered under the intermediate programme emphasis is placed on vocational training and developing professional skills such as printing, making recycled paper, carpentry, cookery, sewing, packaging as well as office work and Housekeeping that prepare them for sheltered employment upon graduation.

Receiving training in these fields, these children have certainly made their life even more colourful; their exhibits and products available on orders nevertheless proves that there are no boundaries, no limitations in life.

After all life is what you make of it. The awesome laundry bags and shoe bags have captured the market in the leading resort hotels in Sri Lanka; for the work of these hands are not second best.

Breaking new ground in the near future will be other innovations with recycled paper as in wrapping paper and other marketable products adding value and colour to their lives and make believe.

"Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality" as it has for the students of the Chitra Lane School for the Special Child and the Chitra Lane Children's Resource Centre.

Having begun a decade ago, its Children's Resource Centre has broadened its horizons: diagnostic and intervention services to children from birth who have special needs.

An Infant stimulation and pre-school education programme, individual special education classes, Life skills/Vocational training and remedial classes for students for students with learning Disabilities (LD) attending mainstream schools based on the childs attention span are some of the areas that are attended to.

Hydrotherapy treatment for certain physical conditions are also being administered.Counselling programmes for parents is a prerequisite the authorities say and the school thus provides it amidst its warm and supportive environment .

Such programmes are focused on the home and help those at home cope with the difficulties is of utmost importance while parent training in behaviour management and parent education programs are also offered at this haven for children.