From the time he was young, Usha Subramanian keenly watched her son S. Ramnath, who has Down’s Syndrome, to figure out what he showed a natural inclination towards. When she realised he had an amazing memory, she told her husband, K. Subramanian, that they had to do everything possible to make sure he shines.
Several years later, 19-year-old Ramnath has cleared his Class XII exams and secured 72.6 per cent - a big feat by a person with this condition. “My son was always good at mathematics and was very focused. To this day, he loves solving math problems, especially matrices. He stayed up till 2 a.m. before his exams,” Ms. Subramanian recalls.
How did Ramnath fare so well, when so many things were against him? The answer is quite obvious when one meets his family. A strong support system paves the way forward for children with Down’s Syndrome, learning difficulties or neurological disorders. “Many families do not understand the condition their child may have and ill-treat and belittle them. Some doctors said my son is too simple-minded to do well. We need to put faith in our children and support them every way possible and let them advance,” Mr. Subramanian says.
From extended relatives to private tutors, Ramnath had all the support he needed. Both his parents work in a bank, but ensured he had their time. According to his private tutor, Lalitha Ramaswamy, who has been teaching him for the past four years, Ramnath was a bright boy, but his parents’ initiative bolstered his achievements. “His mother learnt Business Mathematics just so that she could teach him. But, we also need special schools to equip children with skills that hold them in good stead in the outside world. For Ramnath, who went to the SIET Dyslexia Centre, there was help, but there are many others who don’t have access to it,” she says.
An ardent fan of actors Vijay and Ajith, Ramnath can rattle off dialogues from their movies in a heartbeat. When asked what he wants to do now, he is quick to say, “B.Com!”, but his parents voice the apprehension that has been haunting them all this while. “We are scared he may not be accepted among his peers. We hope he will be,” Mr. Subramanian says.
