Visionary ideas

A group of multiple handicapped blind youngsters are achieving more in life thanks to the patient training, care and love of their teachers - who also believe no matter how disabled all the kids deserve to fully develop their skills


By Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan
Pictures by Somkid Chaijitvanit

Naiyana's life looked like it was doomed from the start. Born blind and with mental disabilities, she was abandoned at a cinema in the Klong Toey area.

She was sent to a state orphanage and with her serious physical and mental disabilities, no one thought she would live long.

Naiyana is now 19 and still fighting to cope with her disabilities. But in spite of the grim start to her life she has come a long way and now feels she can face the outside world.

In May, Naiyana will go to study at a regular primary school in Khon Kaen. It is unlikely she every have got that opportunity, had she not been sent to the Home for Multiple Handicapped Blind Children at the tender age of four.

At the home Naiyana learned to talk, walk and care for herself under the close guidance of teachers and nannies. It is also where she learned how it feels to be loved.

"Naiyana has won what many believe is impossible for the multiple handicapped," said Chanpen Nuenual, a teacher and senior staff member who has worked at the home for more than 10 years. "We're very proud of her."

Naiyana is a success story in the 12-year history of the home. Still struggling to overcome huge disabilities are the many brothers and sisters who live with Naiyana at the Home for Multiple Handicapped Blind Children.

Set off the Ram Intra Road on the northern outskirts of Bangkok, the home was set up in 1986 by Prayat Phunong-ong, founder of the Christian Foundation for the Blind in Thailand.

The place is currently home for 63 blind boys and girls who also have learning disabilities and other physical handicaps. In addition to being blind some of the youngsters are also deaf and mute, or crippled in some way.

"Multiple handicapped blind children usually risk being abandoned at birth. If compared to fruits, they are like rotten oranges which any vendors want to throw away," said Mr Prayat, who is himself blind.

For every 100 blind people, 10 are born with an additional handicap, he added

Prayat Phunong-ong, founder of the Home for Multiple Handicapped Blind Children.

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"I don't want to see these poor youngsters falling victim to racketeers and becoming street beggars. They also deserve the right to live safely and soundly. They should have a chance to develop physically and mentally," said Mr Prayat who is in his 40s.

In 1978 Mr Prayat led a group of blind friends on a 450-kilometre walkathon from Khon Kaen to Bangkok to raise funds for the home which was to be the first of its kind founded by a non-governmental organisation.

"State-run shelters for these disabled children do not have enough resources, both in terms of budget and staff, to allow them to develop properly. They need the private sector to help relieve the heavy burden," he commented.

Mr Prayat said in a government orphanage one nanny might be assigned to take care of 20 disabled children. He said this meant special care towards particular kids was not possible.

"Feeding so many disabled kids is itself a time-consuming task, let alone teaching them this or that. Sadly, this lack of stimulus hampers development of these multiple handicapped children," he said.

Mr Prayat said, all too often he has found kids who have become severely retarded as a result of improper rearing during their early years in state orphanages.

Mr Prayat is determined not to repeat the same mistakes at his home. "Our intention is to give the best care possible and to meet each child's individual needs so they can develop to their fullest potential," he said.

An effective rehabilitation, he said, must take into account each child's different physical and psychological needs. Therapy is then done on a case-by-case basis.

The youngsters at the home come from different backgrounds. Many have been transferred from the Public Welfare Department's Pak Kret Home for Disabled Children. A few have been placed into the care of the home by their parents who come to visit once in a while.

Once children are accepted there they undergo a medical check-up. Doctors review them and ascertain whether they need any physical treatment.

For example, when 16-year-old Pithak arrived at the home he had an enlarged head due to a build-up of fluid on his brain. Doctors examined him and he had an operation to drain off the water before going on to start the rehabilitation programme.

Ms Chanpen said caring for the children takes many skills, and a lot of understanding and perseverance because so many of them are helpless when they first arrive.

Many, particularly those from state homes, often cannot work, eat or go to the toilet by themselves even though they are six or seven years old, she said.

"We cannot teach them by simply using words or pointing things out like you do with seeing children. We need to integrate touch into all methods of explaining," she added.

Blindness makes it hard for these children to imagine, and their mental disabilities increase their difficulties.

"If we want the kids to learn about oranges, for example, we must put the fruit in their hands, let them touch its round shape, allow them to smell, have them peel off the skin and sip its juice," Ms Chanpen explained.

The process of teaching the children - even such everyday skills as eating and walking - requires a great deal of patience and attention to detail on the part of the teacher. And the skills must be taught repetitively until they become second nature to the youngsters.

Ms Chanpen said it can take anything from several months to a year for some kids to learn to put a spoonful of rice into their mouths. It takes more time to teach them other basic skills such as finding their clothes, getting dressed, and going to the bathroom.

Gaysorn and Phongsri were among the first group of children to live at the home in 1986. It was not until three years ago that the two girls had mastered daily routines to the point where they could actually assist with household chores.

But they are among only 10 or so of the young residents who can be so helpful.

"We have to be very patient," said Warin Wongthong, another teacher. "Some boys can put on their pants but cannot take them off. Another group can take them off but cannot put on."

Despite the repeated efforts of their teachers and the repetitive rehabilitation programme some children will take a long time to master even very simple life skills.

Even with daily routines like eating or dressing this group of children need constant urging and attention, she added.

Khoi, for example, has been living in the home for years and she still needs constant guidance. When she is not occupied with a particular activity, she tends to poke her fingers in her eyes.

"Khoi, please don't do that. Your eyes will get soar," warns Ms Warin mildly. Khoi stops. She walks around, then sits beside the teacher. But she soon starts her eye-poking habit again.

"I need to tell her not to do it time and time again. It's a painstaking job. But I feel happy every time I notice even a small improvement in these children. Such joy has kept many of us working here for a long time," smiled Ms Warin, who joined the home six years ago.

Now the home has 32 staff members. Twenty of them work directly with the children in the rehabilitation programme. Each staff member is assigned to look after a small group of students.

"We're very concerned about the ratio between teachers and children, as it affects their learning ability. In a serious case, where children need extra attention, the ratio can be as low as one teacher per two or three youngsters," Ms Chanpen said.

Youngsters who are born blind, deaf and with mental handicaps are among the hardest to raise. Currently, there are five youngsters with such a combination of disabilities at the home. Two teachers are assigned to teach them easy symbols so they can communicate.

"It's like they are locked-in a private world. They neither see, hear, nor speak. They can't express their feeling. That's why they often become very aggressive," she said.

Fifteen-year-old Sumet used to roll frantically on the floor every time he felt hot or angry. To help him cope with his stress, the teachers often take him to a small swimming pool behind the home. The water can effectively calm him.

"The knowledge of symbols has also helped Sumet improve his communication skills. He doesn't get moody so easily now, " Ms Chanpen said.

All the children at the home have access to water therapy. Everyone loves to swim. Physically, the exercise boosts the leg muscles of those youngsters who cannot walk easily.

Another fun time for the youngsters is music class. Many of the children have learned to sing and play musical instruments like the guitar and drums. Pitak, for example, is a talented singer. He can sing almost every song he has heard on the radio.

After the youngsters are confident performing everyday routines, the teachers work on teaching them vocational skills such as weaving doormats and farming.

Gaysorn can now help her nannies cook and water vegetable plots in the home's small farm. Meanwhile, Phongsri can clean her own bedroom and lead younger blind residents from their bedrooms to the lunch tables.

Despite all the individual success stories, Mr Prayat admits there is still a long way for the home to go before it succeeds in its goal to help each child achieve their fullest potential.

Lack of staff and an adequate budget complicates the work. According to Mr Prayat, foreign organisations last year cut their financial support. Now the home relies on the domestic donations. "But that won't ever stop us from giving the best to our children," Mr Prayat said.

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