During the second week of our schools work I was able to take some time out to work with a 14 year old special needs boy. He is one of six children, receives no education and seems to spend most of his time sitting on the floor of the family home. He has virtually no verbal communication and bottom shuffles his way around the room.
It was a great privilege to be able to take sensory activities into his home and demonstrate their possible uses. We had great fun playing 'peep-bo' and 'what's in the bag?'. We also managed to encourage him to retrieve a ball from a box and return it to be rewarded with a sound he enjoyed. My interpreter was excellent and soon wanted to try some interaction for himself-he was a natural! At one point we had both parents, Grandma and our interpreter all joining in with encouraging noises! We finished our sessions with a parachute game which he thought hilarious, especially when lying underneath it.
We were able to leave the equipment with the family and I love to imagine all the children playing the game, possibly supervised by Grandma!
Another child was able to access the school activities in her wheelchair. A volunteer who works with physically disabled children in the UK was able to assist her. This little girl had a marvelous time, along with her mother and sister, making bracelets and necklaces amongst many other things. She also loved the parachute-good fun for all children as we know! Through an interpreter we found out that she had been so excited about coming to school she was awake long before her usual hour! I found this particularly touching- she was 9 years old and I believe that this could have been her first experience of school!
We are so grateful to the headmaster for directing us to these children. The authorities do not see the importance in education for all and he is open in his disagreement with them-he takes a brave stand.

Judith