On 12th December 2022, MNC completed 33 years of service to children in the age group birth to six years, with Intellectual disability and associated conditions providing them Early Intervention. A special day for MNC, since it brings to the front the last thirty three years of tireless and dedicated work put in by the Founders, Management Team, the Staff, and of course the Children and the Parents. As every year, a theme was selected so that the children could perform on the theme.
Every year the children perform on a particular theme which is relevant to their training at the centre. This year the theme was Kurai Ondrum Illai (No complaints). The children, parents and staff presented a thematic dance recital - a conceptual program “Kurai Onrum Illai” describing the latent capabilities in the children with intellectual disability. Parents who are grief stricken also need to understand that problems need to be viewed positively with the “thought” Kurai onrum illai, and that they can be winners in handling their children.
The performance of the children and the mothers showcased that Early Intervention addresses the disability of the child, so that the training to the child and the mother helps them reach a certain level of management of the disability and the child is able tobperform the daily living activities with the required support system thereby moving towards independence in adult life.
The areas or domains chosen for demonstrating the intervention and the developmental progress were 5. They were Movement, Communication, Cognition, Socialization, and Self Management. The children performed to songs written on the above 5 domains depicting in ascending order the child’s progress from a basic activity to achieving difficult skills. Seeing the children perform we could see the joy of life in children with special needs.
The Chief Guest was Mr. N Kumar, Vice President, Sanmar Group and President of Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust. Mr. S Krishnan welcomed the gathering and recorded the dedication and passion with which the parents are managing their children under the stressful condition of Covid 19. They continued the training under the guidance of the teachers through an on line 24 hour home based program. This was possible he said due to the strong relationship built over three decades between the teachers of MNC and the parents. That strength sustains the parents through tough times. They talk; take guidance and interact with the teachers on a friendly level. The 24 hour home based program has brought MNC and the parents close and we are managing the situation in a useful, productive and stress free manner. He thanked the staff for their outstanding work during the pandemic and in seeing that the children do not slip into regression. He gave overview of the year’s achievements where many children had participated in music, painting competitions, and sports events and brought home many prizes.
Mr. N Kumar who addressed the gathering gave a message of hope and support to MNC. He said this year he observed that the children needed very little prompt from the teachers and were able to perform by themselves. This he said was a reflection of the dedication of the teachers and augurs well for the institution.
We had the august presence of Mrs. Maya Gaitonde, Hony. Secretary BMKT, Mrs. Kalpakam Narayanan BMKT, Mrs. Mita Venkatesh, Principal Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Mr. Chandrasekar from Madras Dyslexia Association, senior staff from Bala Mandir, all parents, well wishers and friends of MNC.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Special Educator Ms. Geethalakshmi. The day came to an end with the national anthem and light refreshments.
