Away from school and friends, special children are a stressed lot

Those working in the field say opening special schools adhering to COVID-19 protocol remains the sole solution

As Joseph James (name changed) spoke over the phone, one could hear in the background loud thuds. A carpenter, he said, was at work repairing a door lock knocked down by his 21-year-old autistic daughter who has turned increasingly violent after being confined to house for over a year now due to the pandemic. The situation is as bleak or worse in households across the State as nearly 250 special schools tending to about 25,000 children continue to remain shut. “Without the familiar environs of their schools and the company of their understanding teachers and friends, these children are at sea. Both children and parents are a a frustrated lot, left only to each other’s company. Recently when a video of a parent allegedly beating up his mentally challenged child went viral everyone blamed the father. While he deserves to be blamed, I can imagine how he may have lost his control,” said Mr. James.