“ADWAIT“- An Early Intervention Centre at Ajmer Rajasthan
Background :
Developmental impairment is a common problem in children health that occurs in approximately 10% of the childhood population and even more among “at risk” children discharged from the sick new-born care unit. The idea behind early intervention is to intervene early and minimize disability. Once the disability is already established then the intervention would include enhancement of child development for the child to reach the highest potential for the child possible and prevent progression to handicap that may arise from activity limitation.
The period from birth to 6 years are the most critical years for all children. Therefore, early identification and intervention programs can significantly improve the quality of their lives. In the postnatal years, the growth and development of the child is at its greatest in the first two to three years. It is during this first phase of cognitive development when the underpinnings of intelligence and behaviour begin to evolve. Additionally, plasticity, the ability of the brain to affect structural and functional changes caused by external and internal influences is at its peak in the birth-2 year period. The malleability of the developing brain at this stage makes it possible to bring about these changes. If the child misses this opportunity, further learning will be slow or inadequate.
Thus, Early Intervention Services are needed to support children in a holistic manner addressing Defects at Birth, Diseases, Deficiencies and those with developmental delays or Disabilities or Neuro-behavioural problems or children “at risk” for disabilities.
About “Adwait”:
As needs of early intervention is very high and in Rajasthan these facilities are not available which is hampering the development of high-risk babies and CWSNs and leading them to disability as well as it is reducing the chances of managing disability at early years so that the future impact of disability will get minimized. Most of the parents having good economic support try to avail these facilities at Jaipur where only J K Lon hospital provides full-fledge Early Intervention Services or the parents visit metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi for such facilities. Entire Ajmer zone and Rajasthan is lacking such full fledge facilities which covers physical, cognitive, motor, tactile, visual, hearing stimulations for high-risk babies and born-disabled children. Most of the parents asking us as we have set up for young CWSN and adults.
For this important issue we have done the advocacy of this need and established this centre which will provide services to 0-6 years children which is the most critical years of development in the lives of children and has highest potential to see the development and prevent disability and its progression to become permanent disabled.
The centre provide all the required services under one roof to the parents and children at low cost. This will help parents to start Intervention Services at earlier and it will also reduce their mental stress of travelling outside Rajasthan for these services.
Previous work in Health ( from 2003-06 and 2009-22)
RMKM’s has generated awareness about community health, Mental health and HIV/AIDS, RMKM works in the following areas under the aegis of the programme:
(I) HIV/AIDS-IDUs, FSWs & Out Migrants
IDU’S programme Rajasthan State AIDS Control Society (RSACS), RMKM is working for around 600 targeted Injectable Drug Users (IDUs) in Ajmer district. our main focus is to promote safe injecting practice through needle-syringe exchange programmes.
RMKM provides new disposable needles and syringes to IDUs. All IDU’s are taken to the ICTC centre for HIV tests every 6 months and provided ART services if found HIV positive.
(II) FSW Programme : RMKM is also working with 600 female sex workers (FSW) in the Pali District to promote the use of condoms for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) of female sex workers.
