"TO ESTABLISH  A PREMIER SERVICE FACILITY   FOR PERSONS WITH  MENTAL RETARDATION IN AREAS OF LOW INCOME   AND PRIMARILY FOR THE INFANT AND PRESCHOOL CHILD AND  THE  FAMILY USING LOCAL RESOURCES OF MANPOWER AND MATERIALS"

 
THE WHY, THE WHAT AND THE HOW  

THE  WHY ????

• the mentally handicapped are low priority  even among the population of the disabled in general
• even the able bodied educated persons finds it difficult to get jobs and chances of menatlly handicapped persons finding employment are bleak
• awareness of  disability and mental handicap in particular is  negligent
• superstitions and myths still schackle many families even enlightened and educated ones.
• The woman,  as wife   mother  and daughter in law  often holds down a job and looks after husband, in laws and children without support and this is aggravated if she has a child with mental handicap
• those whose only income is through daily wages for work done on a day to day basis cannot afford to take time out to seek services for the child with mental handicap 
• support services for the disabled are not easily available in areas of low income and for the mentally handicapped they are rare.
• Such services as are available for the disabled in general and the mentally handicapped inparticular  are not accessible within the community  and very often beyond the  finacial means of many families 
• the majority of children who suffer from delayed development  are victims of malnutrition which is an avoidable situation
• malnutrition is also the single major cause for low birth weight babies which has a direct bearing on the nutrition and health of the pregnant and lactating woman
 
THESE ARE SOME OF THE CAUSES THAT PROMPTED THE SETTING UP OF SAMADHAN 
  
THE HOW 

SAMADHAN responded to identified needs of children and families in areas of low income, by establishing some services  keeping in mind that  daily wage labourers cannot take time off to seek help. Therefore all the facilities which a family will need are provided under one roof. 

SMADHAN  works predominatly through a two pronged system of service delivery.   Services are provided in the Day Care Centre established in the low income area of DAKSHINPURI  and  through a network of community workers  in this target area. The services at the Centre are provided through a team of multidisciplinary specialisats who are eithe full time or  work  as consultants  on fixed days . They are the Paediatrician , the Clinical Psychologist , The Special Educator, the Physio Therapist , the Occupational    therapist and the speech therapist.In the Centre , apart from the special education unit and the vocational training unit, a Clinic  has been setup which caters to all children with a disability. 

In the community , services provided  are an early identification of disability through a house to house survey  using the WHO TEN QUESTION CHECKLIST. Members of the community who are mostly uneducated or have studied upto std VIII ( middle school ) but have the power of compassion undertake a comprehensive survey in specified target areas. Based on this survey, children in the 0 to 5 age range with disability and specifically those with mental handicap are brought to the Centre by the community workers  for assessment , screening , diagnosis and programme planning.  Admission to the Centres Special Education programme or the Vocational Training Unit if the child is older are done if possible and if not the child is referred to other suitable agencies. All children and their families are counselld and guidance given as required 

The  workers who make this programme possible are women who are mothers of the handicapped themselves, volunteers  from the  community with some understanding of the problems faced by families withy children who are mentally handicapped and empathy for their suffering. 

H O M E