Securing the future of kids with special needs

PUNE: “What after we are gone? Who will look after my grown up daughter?” is a question that haunts parents of autistic children.
Concerned parents of children with various disabilities are looking at ways in which they can keep their wards integrated with society while providing them a secure surrounding and financial independence.
“There are several assisted living centres (ALCs) around Pune where children with special needs can learn vocational skills and live till they are alive.But several parents postpone shifting their wards to such facilities for the fear of ill treatment and exploitation. Besides, they are afraid to remove their children from their comfort zone,” said Cdr. (Retd.) Shrirang Bijur, who runs an ALC and is the father of a 30-year-old person with special needs.
Many parents delay the separation because they find it to be a drain on their finances while they are still alive. But problems crop up as they grow old and are themselves in need of support. “Siblings of special children may help, but will they be able to commit themselves to supporting their brother/sister for life with their own family responsibilities in place?” said Subhash Lele, father of an autistic teenager.
Colonel (Retd) A Sridharan, who was instrumental in creating a large number of retirement communities in south India, has developed a concept for a facility for senior citizens with special children.
“After the demise of the parents, their children are looked after with quality care and lifestyle until their demise,” said Sridharan, who is a consultant for such a project coming up in Askarwadi near Pune.
“Under the joint family system, parents never worried about the future of special children. With nuclear families becoming the norm, residential projects with blocks reserved for such families, with a vocational training centre on the premises, could be the solution,” said Bijur.
City-based developer Shashank Paranjape said that his company is developing a housing scheme for children with degrees of autism in Pune. “The project should start in about six months. Parents of autistic children can stay here with the children, who will be weaned from their reliance on their family and move out to become independent beings. A school, workshop, a hostel building and a residential complex will be part of the plan.”