Author: Anjali Nunes | Apr 06, 2017
3 year old little Arjun came in for his speech therapy session as usual… or so I thought.The usually calm little boy that Arjun is, entered the session quite the opposite that day. I also had the company of an intern sitting with me and observing my session. Arjun was cranky and visibly upset because of an event that transpired earlier. This adorable little boy, who has autism was not happy at all. I did my best to calm him down, offering him a choice of activities, using a iPad to help his communication, following his agenda etc.
All attempts to engage Arjun proved futile and hence the focus of my session shifted to merely managing his challenging behaviours and helping him calm down. Howevever, he then began to hit and kick his parents, at which point I had to get them to wait outside in a safe area. This made Arjun even angrier! His anger really frightened the intern!
Eventually, by just leaving him to get calm in his own time, Arjun gradually did so. After a while, we even reached point of ‘absolute calm’ for about two minutes when there was a knock on the door from my colleague. He needed to use the adjoining space in my room for his session. The intern whispered that heshouldn’t come in because of Arjun’s behaviour, but my colleague couldn’t hear her and he opened the door. Immediately Arjun started screaming again. There went my Speech Therapy session!
This highlights Sethu’s urgent need for space – a permanent home where sessions can run uninterrupted and undistracted. Currently, we share small spaces divided by cupboards and shelves. Crucial and potentially successful moments in a session are interrupted by situations from simultaneous therapy sessions. We need to raise 5 crores to make our dream of having our own home a reality. That seems like a ton of money but tiny drops make a mighty ocean.
Here is what I decided to do… I rummaged through my stuff at home and found three pairs of shoes I bought but never used. I am going to sell these on OLX and the money I get from its sale will be donated to Sethu’s dream of a new home. Small acts like this will go a long way in building a ‘state of the art’ centre where children can reach their full potential. I hope that each of you reading this post will join me in supporting Sethu’s vision of for a centre where all children can reach their full potential.