Cognitive disabilites see startling spike in Kerala, says Jayaraj report

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least nine lakh children in the state are estimated to suffer from mild to severe intellectual disabilities like mental retardation, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, depression and learning disability.

This finding, termed conservative, was revealed in the report of the single-man M.K. Jayaraj Commission. The commission was formed to study the problems faced by children suffering from intellectual disabilities.

It has also recommended the formation of a state-level apex centre on intellectual challenge to tackle what it terms an “invisible social problem” urgently.

“The exact proportion of children suffering from brain-related damages is not known,” said M.K. Jayaraj, the single-man commission and principal of the state Institute for the Mentally Challenged. “Certain studies, however, show that the proportion of children with learning difficulties alone is shocking,” he said.

His report quotes a study which has concluded that children with mild to profound learning difficulty constitute almost 10 per cent of the student community in the state.

Mr Jayaraj, who carried out extensive consultation with child psychologists, notes in his report that there was an extraordinary increase in the number of children showing problems like schizophrenia and anxiety disorder. “At least nine lakh children are suffering from brain-related disorders in the state,” the report said.

The study notes, it is easy to exploit parents of such children. “Scientific tests have not proven that these conditions, especially damage to brain cells, can not be mitigated by treatment or medicines. Even so, parents fall prey to fake claims of instant remedies.”

It is in this context that the report recommends the formation of the Apex Centre on Intellectual Challenge.

The centre will head a comprehensive network of medical and training centres, and special schools in various parts of the state.