14/11/12 6:44 AMThe Hindu : States / Other States : Alva: create awareness of dyspraxia

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States » Other States

Published: November 14, 2012 01:02 IST | Updated: November 14, 2012 01:02 IST

Alva: create awareness of dyspraxiaSpecial Correspondent

Margaret Alva

It’s imperative to take care of special needs of children, says Governor

Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva has called upon teachers and parents to take care of special needs of children andsecure their mental, emotional and physical well-being.She was receiving the first copy of a poster on dyspraxia affecting “disorganised children” here on Sunday.

Changes in behaviour

Paediatrician Vivek Sharma said about 15 per cent of schoolchildren suffered from dyspraxia and faced subtle changesin behaviour and manoeuvres, especially in playground activities of jumping, catching a ball, hopping and skipping.They also face difficulties in tying shoelaces and doing up buttons, drawing and using scissors and could learn onlythrough one-to-one guidance, said Dr. Sharma.Ms. Alva said the poster would meet the long-felt need for generating awareness of dyspraxia among parents andteachers.The poster, titled “Dyspraxia explored: Recognise the disorganised child,” would go a long way in eradicating mythsabout the disorder, said Dr. Sharma.It would be distributed among school counsellors, disability centres and health institutions.The poster was being translated in Arabic and Deutsche for being circulated in West Asian countries and Denmark.The paediatrician, who had conducted several workshops on the subject in schools and disability institutes, said thedisorder could be mitigated by simple measures such as allowing extra time during teaching, praising the child’s smallaccomplishments, teaching on one-to-one level and refraining from comparing a dyspraxic with an able child.At home, parents could make an early identification of the disorder with the help of a child specialist and providetreatment through the therapy provided by occupational, speech and language therapists, said Dr. Sharma. Famousactor Daniel Radcliff, who played Harry Potter in the film, suffered from mild dyspraxia and still had trouble tying hisshoelaces sometimes, the paediatrician said.Keywords: Margaret Alva, Rajasthan Governor, dyspraxia, children with special needs

14/11/12 6:44 AMThe Hindu : States / Other States : Alva: create awareness of dyspraxia

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