It was a birthday with a difference for Y. Sanjay (6). Not because he celebrated the occasion with his ‘special’ friends but because he landed the chance to be the first person to participate in the interschool painting event organised at Leader’s Choice Art Gallery. Sanjay, an autistic child, overcame his inhibitions and initiated the joint colouring exercise with red.
A lively and enthusiastic group of 72 children from The Dolphin Special School and Centre took part in the event.
The group included children with Autism, Mental Retardation, and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
The atmosphere was charged with their energy and their happiness was contagious.
“Such activities encourage these children help overcome inhibitions and improve their social behaviour,” said Ramaraj, father of the 12-year-old autistic child Aravind Raj.
Under the guidance of artist Hermon Carduz, the children were given the chance to choose a colour of their choice.
With each child going with its choice of red, orange, blue, yellow, green, or violet, the melange of colours, the canvas turned out to be at the end, was indeed a reflection of the beauty of their minds. The motto behind the event was to make the children earn, enjoy, and have fun with painting.
“We organise such events on a regular basis to help children socialise and overcome fears. Twice a month, we have a group work to teach our students to mingle and there are weekly events as well. We involve them in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, and karate,” said G. Praveena Carmel, director, The Dolphin Special School and Centre.
