Summarising forty years in Child Development

After four years of efforts, the five publications that we envisioned to summarise the initiative on Child Development and Rehabilitation, are now available for circulation. 

It is a set of five books covering: 

Observing the child developmentally in the first three years by parent involvement home programme (Bud to Blossom);  

Developmental monitoring of a child when there is developmental delay (Accompany your child);  

A dialogue starter with parents on parenting practices of pre-school children (Parenting Presence); 

A structured observation based developmental appraisal of a child with Neuro-developmental needs by using protocols that give scores to know the extent of the Ability, Boundaries and Concerns of a developmentally challenged child (Enable Your child);  and 

A  manual for play-based  learning engagement of pre-school children at home (Engage Your Child).

There are three distinctive features to these books:

They are designed to be user friendly.

All the   protocols and practices suggested arose from the experience of involvement with children at the Child Development Centre, Chennai and medical colleges at Vellore, Pondichery and  Kolenchery. 

All the observational protocols can be scored to monitor the developmental pathway of a Neuro-developmentally challenged child in order to be prompt in responding to the need and opportunity. 

With this, the academic experiences of 40 years of engagement of ASHIRVAD in Child Development and Rehabilitation are summarised in these five publications. 

We feel fulfilled that the Developmental Paediatrics Units ASHIRVAD   supported  to develop at the Christian Medical College, Vellore; PIMS, Pondiochery and MOSCMC, Kolenchery continue their valuable service to developmentally challenged children and their parents. We feel grateful for the team of professionals in each of these Medical Colleges. 

The model that has evolved from our experience during the forty years is a Parent Involved and home based neuuro-developmental monitoring of children and developmental support for children and  accompaniment of parents and siblings.

I feel grateful to all the professional colleagues, who participated actively in evolving this pathway in child development. 

When I turn back to recall the terrain we travelled starting from beginning the speciality of Developmental Paediatrics, pioneering the post-doctoral fellowship and PhD programme to train professionals and defining the content and contour of child development for Neuro-developmentally challenged children, I feel overwhelmed and moved that this was possible ! The single defining factor was the iinvitation from the Christian Medical College, Vellore in 1995 inviting ASHIRVAD to start the first Developmental Paediatrics speciality. That academic platform created because of the interest of the then Director Dr V.I.Mathen, initiated a chain of responses with more departments of Developmental Paediatrics getting started in India during the last thirty years. 

Now with the above books, Anna and I feel grateful and fulfilled that we were given an opportunity to join hands with others to do our part to support children and families and introduce professionals to this speciality!

 

M.C.Mathew ( text and photo)