Anna and I were pleasantly surprised to find that the above line drawings of different aspects of child development drawn thirty-eight years ago still look good enough to be useful to illustrate play behaviour of children in a home setting. These were used in three of the earlier publications of ASHIRVAD, First Experiences and Helping children to learn (1988) and Developmental monitoring of infants and pre-school children (2001).
Now as we are consolidating experiences in child development since the Child Development Centre began in 1983 in Chennai, we wondered how we can bring a manual of ideas for parents to promote child development at home. That led us to prepare a book, Engage your child using the line drawings to illustrate how home environment can be central to child development in early childhood.
We remember Sudha, a child development professional who was in the team at Child Development Centre in 1987, who produced these line drawing. Her enthusiastic and imaginative efforts created these illustrations.
In the recent years, we engaged in proposing to parents for planned parenthood, effective parenting, home based learning opportunities during early childhood, and creating a Child's Corner at home to offer space for children to grow up feeling integrated with the home. The five books published in the series are, Bud to blossom, Accompany Your child, Parenting presence, Enable your chid and the forthcoming one, Engage your child.
The above five publications summarise the child development experiences of forty years through ASIRVAD initiating services of Developmental Paediatrics at Chennai (1983), Nagpur (1991), Vellore (1997), Pondichery (2000) and Kolenchery(2012). The clinical services initiated continue actively in all the centres.
Anna and I stay wondering at the evolution of different expressions of Child Development that became a reality through ASHIRVAD in ways well beyond our imagination!
This became even more surprising when the St. Andrews church at Chennai contacted us recently to remember ASHIRVAD's initiative in starting the Early Learning Centre in the church campus in 1988 which subsequently grew in to a special school for developmentally challenged children. The church used to dedicate Sunday close to November 14th, to recall the founding of ASHIRVAD.
We remember all those professionals who were part of the team in the above places and the parents and children who became facilitators in our learning journey.
Some historical events happened unplanned. The flow of events followed a momentum which was spontaneous and self sustained. Anna and I felt carried by the events and experiences. Most of what happened during the last forty years were uninitiated by us, but was a natural progression of services which were a response to needs that emerged in each situation.
Her ewe are bringing a closure to our active presence in the domain of child development.
We feel filled with happy memories and fond recollections of people who were involved with us in the work place and many supporting us from behind. This week the Friends of ASHIRVAD in Berlin meet to celebrate their association with ASHIRVAD by organising a charity sale in a Christmas function in a school.
What an experience of collaboration and shared experiences in a professional journey!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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