To make the special children productive members of the society, their parents and teachers, as well as the community has to play a positive role in providing them education and skills.
These views were shared by speakers at a seminar held at the University of Management and Technology (UMT) and organised by the UMT Social Sciences Department, in which a large number of students, teachers and representatives of NGOs participated.
The speakers said special children can not grow up in isolation and need to be given the same opportunities provided to other children, to allow them to grow up as confident individuals.
Khawar Sultana, a representative of the Ameen Maktib, said her institution equipped special children with modern learning and knowledge. She stated that special children need special care and attention.
Sultana said teachers should be trained especially to teach such children. Dr Abdul Tawwab, a representative of the Rising Sun Education and Welfare Society, lauded the initiative of the UMT and said special children should be taken care of sensibly.
He stated that all the segments of the society needed a collective effort with a broad vision to address the issues these children face during the course of learning.
A representative of the Ghazali Education Trust said the GET was involved in imparting knowledge to special children living in far-flung areas, as they were often deprived of attention and care.
Saima Kashif of the Bloom Field School said her NGO was teaching English and Mathematics to special children as compulsory subjects, while other subjects were also being taught to them, according to their aptitude.
She stressed the need making the society aware at a vast level regarding the issues faced by special children.