Special needs caregivers to take refresher courses

Kise Director Norman Kiogora, Chief County Officer of Education Ruth Owuor (Nairobi County) and Action Foundation Director Maria Omari (right). [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Caregivers of children with disability will be required to take mandatory refresher courses to enable them to support the minors.

The courses include nutrition guidance, positive parenting and holistic health services and approaches on how to take care of learners

In addition the caregivers should be trained on physical support for the children's safety, emotional and social development.

This emerged during the African Summit on Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education convened by the African Disability Collaboration at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (Kise), Nairobi.

Chief County Officer of Education, Social Services and Gender, Nairobi City County Ruth Owuor said the county is going to have a Memorandum of Understanding with Kise so as to have support education assessment centres.

"We are going to put up a Disability Parental Empowerment Centre which will be key to train parents and caregivers to be part of advocacy on how to take care of the Special Needs children," she said.

Nurturing environment

Speaking at the conference, Owuor said this will address different needs of children with disabilities with a view of building a supportive and nurturing environment.

"We are partnering with the Kise to ensure we have two more centres to assist children, and people living with disabilities with devices and those who do advocacy to do empowerment including sports," Owuor said.

She further said thousands of children with disability held at home since they cannot access services due to distance, noting that 17 more centres will be put up to ensure services are taken closer.

Kise Director Norman Kiogora said the Competency-Based Curriculum is one of the best approaches that have opened ways for the government to think critically on how to assist learners who are gifted and talented.

"We have realised that some learners are extremely talented away from academics. When we work together we can identify such opportunities and assist them to realise their full potential," Dr Kiogora said.

Dr Kiogora noted that caregivers have a moral duty to remove the barriers to participation.

"Children with learning disabilities and attention disorders are not unintelligent, lazy or slow. They just learn differently."

Action Foundation Executive Director Maria Omari said no child should be left behind in accessing opportunities for early learning and public services.

"With this kind of engagement, we will be able to offer infrastructure including toilets, classrooms and elevators which are friendly."