Armed with a backpack, Chandramouli sets off to his job as a data entry operator for a private firm. Mr. Chandramouli was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. “He is never late and never misses a day of work,” said a colleague of his at a screening of the documentary Chandramouli: A real-life story of an Adult with Special Needs here on Saturday.
After his schooling, he was trained at V-Excel Educational Trust to develop his social and behavioural skills. “We train students in areas where they are skilled for over a year with counselling and other tools so that they become independent. They are more tuned to task completion and their loyalty to the job is unmatched,” said Vasudha Prakash, founder-director, V-Excel Educational Trust.
Stating that the film was an effort to raise awareness on neurodivergence and inclusion in mainstream society, she said: “Once they are identified for a job role, we once again train them in the required job profile and then slowly integrate them into the system. It might start out with maybe two sessions a week. Our counsellor is always present to help them work out any issues before they transition into the role full-time.”
Charumathi Sriram, vocational coordinator, stressed on parents’ support for disabled children’s inclusion in mainstream society. “The jobs are available. People do want to employ them, but the parents still hold back due to lack of awareness and fear,” she said.
Published - November 16, 2024 09:59 pm IST
