Chennai, Tamil Nadu Dec 2, 2019 (Issuewire.com) - Wandering away from home or school is a common problem amongst high-risk children and adults (those with intellectual/cognitive/ social / communication disabilities) and can have life-threatening consequences. In most cases, the child or adult is found very quickly and restored to their families. However, in some instances, the missing person is not found for a long time, or never found at all. There are also many unfortunate incidents where the missing person has met with a severe mishap,
Many children and adults with such disabilities are either non-verbal or not able to communicate effectively. They are therefore not able to communicate that they are lost or seek help in any way. A recent case is that of Tarun Gupta, a non-verbal child with autism who went missing from his home in Mumbai almost two months ago and has still not been located. Another tragic incident in recent times was that of Praveen Kumar, an adult with intellectual disabilities who missed the bus on his way to work in Chennai and got lost. Despite a city-wide search by family, friends, and volunteers, he was found only days later, having succumbed in a road accident barely six kilometers from where he went missing.
Special Child Assistance Network (SCAN) is raising awareness of this issue through a series of public messages and posters, in English and Tamil. The first such communication is being released on December 3rd, 2019, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The intent is to:
- Make people aware of this danger
- Help people spot a missing child or adult with such issues
- Give them tips on what to do when they see such a person who needs help
The attached posters will be circulated widely on social media as well as to corporates, government organizations, hospitals, and other institutions. Gayathri Sridhar, Trustee of SCAN said “It is heart-breaking to hear about a lost child or family member. Especially when the person has a disability that prevents them from communicating their predicament and seeking help, the onus is on all of us, the general public as well as the authorities, to identify such lost persons and restore them to their families.”
About Special Child Assistance Network (SCAN)
Special Child Assistance Network (SCAN) is a support group for families of special needs children, active since 2015. SCAN members have children with various special needs – Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, Intellectual Disability, Dyslexia, ADHD, etc. SCAN is now a well-known group in Chennai, with over 600 members.
SCAN provides a platform for interaction for the special needs community:
- Special Needs families: parents, special needs children, siblings and care-givers
- People working with Special Needs children: educators, therapists, etc.
- People interested in Special Needs / Volunteers
Special Child Assistance Network is registered as a Public Charitable Trust in Tamil Nadu, and under Section 12A and Section 80G of India's Income Tax Act, 1961 (donations eligible for 50% tax deduction). Visit us on FB www.facebook.com/groups/SpecialChildAssistanceNetwork/ or email us on contact@scanfamily.org.
Media Contact
Special Child Assistance Network (SCAN) contact@scanfamily.org D-309 Shrishti Apts14 Sriram Nagar I Cr. St., Thiruvanmiyur
