Lockdown has been difficult for parents of these special children based in Mylapore. However, they seem to have managed it well.
Says Pooja (name changed), mother of a 15-year-old boy who has a developmental delay, “Lockdown has been tough on us. But I’m managing by engaging my son on different activities. My son Ashok (name changed) loves swimming. Every day, he used to swim at least an hour at his swimming class at YMCA, Nandanam. Also, he used to enjoy the bike ride from our house to his swimming class. However, since the lockdown, he is unable to swim. He misses that the most now.”
She says that it is difficult for his son to understand the current situation. “He keeps asking why we can’t go out, but I manage by saying it’s not safe. Now, in the mornings he attends a class at the house of a special educator who stays close by. Later, he spends time watching TV, and listening to bhajans. He also helps me with domestic chores sometimes. In the evenings, he goes for a walk with his father, she says.
Kalyani (name changed) mother of a 39-year-old differently-abled person says, “My son used to regularly visit the Infinity Park in San Thome. Hence, post lockdown, he is missing the park and his school the most. Whenever he gets bored, I engage him in writing, reading and domestic chores. In fact, nowadays he is volunteering to sweep the house, clean vessels and cut veggies.”
