Every child has specific needs; every child is unique; ‘One-size-fits-all’ approach doesn't work”

Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that all efforts should converge to ensure a life of dignity for children with special needs so that, “they achieve their sense of selfhood and inclusion”. He also appealed to everyone to forge a path towards a future where we make the world safe and meaningful for such a category of children.

Addressing a gathering at the inaugural ceremony of Higashi Autism School in New Delhi today, the Vice President noted that it is the mother who takes all responsibility on her shoulders, sacrificing every comfort to ensure the growth of children with special needs. Therefore, he called upon the male gender to work “shoulder to shoulder with their spouses and companions in a missionary mode” when the child faces a challenge of autism and needs support. He underlined the importance of not leaving one's partner to face the challenges alone stating that abandoning them during these challenging times would “forfeit your right to be a member of mankind”.

Noting that ‘One-Size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when a child is facing the challenge of autism, Shri Dhankhar stressed that “Every child has specific needs, every child is unique” and underlined the need to expose our children to the wider world, regardless of the challenges they may face in their individual personalities.

Appreciating the curriculum comprising Integrated Approach to Yoga Therapy (IAYT) and Daily Life Therapy, the Vice-President called such approaches as impactful means to empower special children so that “they become productive and involved members of that society, to bring pride to families who were there in despair and fatigue”.

Noting that this is the third Higashi Autism School globally, following Tokyo and Boston, the Vice-President commemorated it as a “befitting occasion for us all to resolve in togetherness for evolving an environment where every child with autism is celebrated”. He also praised the Chairperson of the school, Ms Rashmi Das for her unwavering commitment towards the welfare & well-being of children with autism.

Describing the school visit as nothing less than a 'spiritual journey' signifying a profound detachment from self and a strong attachment to the well-being of others, the Vice-President appreciated the teachers for giving their all - their mental, physical, and spiritual energies, in the relentless pursuit of tapping into the boundless potential that resides within each and every child. On this occasion, a cultural performance was also given by special children along with their teachers.

Shri Dattatreya Hosabale, RSS Sarkaryavah, Dr. Rashmi Das, Chairperson, Higashi Autism School, faculty members, parents and other dignitaries attended the event.