Saumya S does the ‘able’ act

Hyderabad: The world of autism is different. One that most humans struggle to comprehend because being special is not everyone’s cup of tea. As the world gets ready to observe Autism Awareness Day on April 2, the city has some reason to celebrate, with a new autism vocational centre all set to open here.

This centre will be different from other autism schools, which themselves are a minority, because it will be focusing on autistic children above 18 years of age. Regular autism centres and schools focus on intervention, treatment and therapy for autistic children, but once they are into their teenage, educational options narrow down for them. Most institutions are for children below 18, which means once these kids grow up, they have to remain home without much support.

Saumya S., an Army wife who has been in the field of special education for over a decade now, is behind the Autism Vocational Centre, which will be inaugurated on Saturday in P&T Colony, Vikrampuri. Till recently the principal of the Chetak Asha School operating under the aegis of the Indian Army in the Bathinda Military Station, Punjab, Saumya’s training as a special educator saw her working in similar schools across the country earlier.

That is not all. She knows how autism affects a family as a whole, and what any form of support means to an autistic child, because her elder son has been living in the world of autism for 16 years now.

“Being the mother of an autistic child, I know from personal experience how it is for parents of such special children as they grow up. Our options narrow down, and the child’s right to continue receiving support and learning new skills is curtailed. That is what prompted me to set up this centre,” says Saumya, who is getting support from Dr AK Kundra, known across the country for his work in the field of autism and also for the Autism Ashram he runs on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Focus at the AVC, says Saumya, will be on the child’s mental health, social and domestic behavior, safety skills, occupational skills, mobility and hand functions, recreational skills and most importantly, daily living skill development.

Counseling support will also be provided, she says, adding that with the pandemic, children with special needs were hit more than anyone else, because online classes could not do justice to them. The Autism Vocational Centre aims to help parents and special children in the city change this anomaly and to offer them a better life, she adds.

How to get in touch:

• Phone: 8520992455

• Email: autismvocationalcentre@gmail.com

• Address: Plot No.78 & 79, P&T Colony,

• Behind Navjeevan Hospital, Vikrampuri