PUNE: While there is almost no awareness regarding the sexuality and bodily changes in mentally challenged people, Tathapi Trust, an organisation that works for the physically and mentally challenged children, has published a book explaining changes children go through at the time of puberty. It also speaks about overall hygiene and safety.
‘Amhihi Mothe Hotoy’ (We are also growing up), a body literacy and sex education book for the mentally challenged children was launched in the city on Thursday.
The book has been written by education expert and parent of a mentally challenged child Sunita Kulkarni along with Acchyut Borgaokar of Tathapi.
“The book, through colourful pictures and illustrations, will give children information about the sexual changes that take place in their body during puberty,” said Sushma Kharade of Tathapi.
While the mentally challenged individuals also develop physically and go through changes like other children do, there is hardly any dialogue about the same in the households.
“In a society where getting acceptance for the mentally challenged individuals as humans is a huge task, spreading awareness about their sexuality is another challenge in itself. Tathapi has been working in the field for the past few years. However, we have a long way to go,” Kharade said.
She added, “Most parents struggle even to talk to their normal children when it comes to sex education. With the mentally challenged children, the fact that their body too will grow like any that of any other normal child is overlooked by most parents. Even if some parents wish to explain these things to their children, they don’t know how to.”
That was the reason, Kharade added, that the book also contains a guide for parents on how they can interact with their children on the subject.
Along with bodily changes, physical hygiene, privacy, health and security are some of the other issues that the book has addressed.
“With simple language and more use of pictures, the authors have tried to make the book easy to understand and appealing to the mentally challenged readers,” Kharade said.
