BASANTH Raj Deep Singh, 15, was gyrating to the sounds of hot Bollywood music in his classroom, located at Taarana, a privately run special needs centre in Petaling Jaya.
Basanth was oblivious to those around him as he danced to the rhythm of the music and was quite obviously in a world of his own. The only difference between him and most other children of his age was the fact that he was classified as having Down Syndrome, a recognised genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of Chromosome 21.
According to his sister, Sharan Kaur, Basanth simply loves Bollywood music and is the first to go on stage at weddings and family dinners when the floor opens for dancing.
“It’s his way of connecting with everyone because as soon as he starts dancing, everyone joins him on the floor and eventually they talk to Basanth and he loves the attention, “ said Sharan.
Today, internationally World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is a global awareness day recognised since 2012, on March 21st every year.
According to Dr Sunitha Sivakumaran, who runs the centre, Taarana was established in 2011, under the RYTHM Foundation to provide resources and support for children with special learning needs.
Another personality at Taarana who has made a name for herself, working there for the past ten years, is Kamini Selvaratnam, a vocal 35-year-old, who spoke on her ambitions and experiences working as a teaching aide and clerical assistant at the centre.
“I was born in Raub, Pahang but my parents moved to KL as there was a lack of resources and education there for my condition. I attended various centres for training such as Wisma Harapan, Kiwanis Down Syndrome Centre and finally SMK Taman Desa where I completed my Form 3,” said Kamini, who is proud of her achievements.
According to Dr Sunitha, Kamini could be considered as one of the most enterprising and engaging young persons with her condition.
“Kamini is a shining example to others with Down Syndrome as she has on her own signed up for many courses that enriched and sharpened her skills. Among the workshops Kamini attended were the International Montessori Convention organised by the International Montessori Society and ‘Understanding, Children’s Hearts and Minds’ an internal workshop, which greatly added to her skills and ability to deal with the special needs children at Taarana,” said Dr Sunitha.
“When I first came to work at Taarana, Kamini was engaged in cleaning and wiping down shelves and cupboards but I saw potential in her as she could take instructions, so I showed her how to use a laminating machine and now she does most of the lamination in Taarana,” added Dr Sunitha.
But as Kamini explained, life was not so easy when she was younger, as people would stare at her.
“It was difficult to communicate with most people, as they didn’t understand what I was saying,” said Kamini.
As Kamini grew older, her parents exposed her to speech therapy and her speech improved with time and today she is outspoken in her thoughts and had no problems with communicating wherever she went, a far cry from her early years.
My final question to Kamini was to share her ambition with the Vibes, and her answer was quick.
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“I want to open a kindergarten as I want to not only take in normal children but other special needs children so I can help them improve by mixing with normal children,” said Kamini, who feels so wanted as a teaching aide as she loves being with the younger children.
Dr Sunitha, herself the mother of a special child, Vishaka Jivan, understands the challenges faced by special needs children and supports Kamini in her aspirations. – The Vibes, March 21, 2021
