The term “Spastic” is still not clearly understood by many
people. They are confused by the very concept of brain damage, and often
assume it to be a form of mental deficiency or even madness. We have taken up
a public awareness programme to explain that spasticity is NOT a disease,
neither infectious nor hereditary, but a neurological problem caused by a birth
injury to that part of the brain which controls movement. These are spastic
children, physically handicapped since birth. Months may however pass before
the parents detect that something is wrong. Whether the disability turns out to
be mild, moderate or severe, affecting a limb or two or the whole body, timely
action can bring about a big change for the better. If neglected, the child’s
condition can deteriorate, irretrievably.
Despite noticeable imbalance of movement, speech and
hand-grip problems, at least 50% of children with cerebral palsy are as
intelligent as children delivered normally, and in many cases of exceptional
intelligence. For example, Miss. Mithu Alur, the spastic daughter of Mrs.
Malini Alur, Founder of the Spastic Society of India, Mumbai, was severely
brain-damaged at birth. This affected her neuro-motor functions, and to this
day, now about 30 years of age, she is confined to a wheel-chair. Her speech is
intelligible only to those who have made a conscious effort to understand what
she wants to say. Yet Mithu is blessed with the will to over come her
disability and some years ago she took a degree in Desk-Top-Publishing from
Oxford University in England. This is now her profession and she gets a lot of
contract work in printing and publishing.
There are many other success stories of young spastic
adults, who despite their clumsy movements and slow stammering speech, are
leading useful and productive lives. Brain damage has not conquered their will
to exercise their cognitive faculties and prove their mettle.
All this was possible because of concerned people who
realized the need to teach them basic skills and to awaken their hidden potential.
