(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A group of mothers from Abu Dhabi made it a perfect day for children of determination, at the Ability Centre in Mussafah on Tuesday.
Marking the occasion of Mother's Day and Happiness Day, members of the Indian Ladies Association (ILA) engaged in various activities like book reading, face painting, games, dance and music, with some 30 special needs children.
ILA's new president Annu Chouraria said the association believes in contributing to community welfare and couldn't think of a better way to mark Mother's Day, Happiness Day and Down Syndrome Day.
"We wanted to celebrate and share the love, affection and bond with these special kids. This is the Year of Zayed and this is the Month of Reading. We dedicated good time to read aloud the values, thoughts and ideas of the visionary Founding Father of the UAE and his remarkable legacy. Reading a book to these kids is an important thing as it helps them in every aspect of cognition, build a healthy bond and foster greater interaction and communication. It was a heart-warming experience to hear 'Happy Mother's Day' from these special kids," Annu said.
Ability Center director Sahdia Khurshid felt such initiatives help develop new skills in kids, improve their confidence and help them feel a sense of belonging. "The children were excited about this event and participated in all activities like colouring and reading. Such social gatherings made their day special," Sahdia said.
Parents said such events made small but positive changes in their children's behaviour. One mother, Presila, said her son Daniel usually doesn't like loud sounds but adjusted well when the music was played.
"Daniel has moderate-level autism. He was admitted in this school in January last year. He doesn't like loud sounds. I faced problems taking Daniel to weddings and other social gatherings because of the loud music. However, after seeing him adjust well here, I can take him to other public events," she said.
ILA general secretary Rakshita Yadav felt blessed to have brought a smile on the faces of these kids. "I don't there is a better sight," Rakshita added, as the members distributed toys and stationery items to the beaming kids.
ILA plans to hold more such events as part of the year-long Year of Zayed celebrations.
Ashwani Kumar
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