RITHAM special school for mentally challenged children is established in 2004 in Rajapalayam (a small town in backward Virudhunagar District), Tamil Nadu, India to serve the students in the town and its nearby villages. Ritham School is registered under the Tamil Nadu government.
Ritham started its first step with 4 children in 2004. Now Ritham has more than 86 Special Students and 29 staff members.
What is the need of Special School?
Mentally Challenged (MR) and Cerebral Palsy(CP) children have trouble speaking, understanding social rules, solving problems and thinking logically. They find it hard to remember things. There is no known cure for these medical problems. medical intervention is limited to the treatment and prevention of complications possible from MR’s consequences.
If these kids are not identified early and given physiotherapy their muscles will contract and will attain a permanent deformity. Identifying the condition early and starting education early is the only option.
Today so much is being written about early intervention. Every day the children lose by sitting at home, is a day lost in their lives. Training/educating any child, with or without disability must start early, even as the brain is in the formative stage. The later they come to school the more difficult it is for them to catch up with the process of learning.
And we sincerely believe the kids deserve a chance, they can be educated, and they are trainable, depending on the severity of the disability. All it takes is an open mind.
Our motive is to teach them how to improve their daily living skills, such as getting dressed, using the bathroom, and eating on their own; communication skills, such as understanding what is said and being able to answer; social skills with peers, family members, adults, and others. And where possible educate them for an independent, productive life.
