Interaction helps mentally retarded people develop
Dewi Santoso, Jakarta
Social interaction is perhaps the best therapy for helping mentally impaired children live a normal life, as already proven by many parents.
Yana, a 42-year-old housewife, whose daughter Vivi is a Down's syndrome baby, said mentally impaired children could not be left feeling alienated.
"My daughter used to be afraid of people. She was taciturn and did not want to make friends with other children. But as I slowly brought her to public places and then to participate in activities that involved other Down's syndrome babies, she began to be more relaxed when she met people," said the mother of two on the sidelines of the GE Global Community Day here on Saturday.
Another Down's syndrome baby, Michael, was a passionless boy until his parents introduced him to the world outside the places he had been secluded in before.
His keen interest in sports later gained him international laurels, but it was his social relations that paved the way for his success.
He said on Saturday he was no longer afraid of talking with people, a clear hint of new self-confidence.
Yana said she also availed of her daughter's love for music.
She added her daughter loved to sing and could memorize the lyrics of any children's songs.
"Sometimes, I deliberately chant a wrong lyric, and she will correct it," Yana proudly said.
The Global Community Day was organized by the U.S.-based General Electric (GE) corporation in cooperation with the Special Olympics Indonesia (SOIna) organization at the Badminton Hall in Bung Karno sports complex,
Around 600 students, including children from the Jakarta International School and the SMU 1 state senior high school, took part and communicated with their mentally retarded peers.
"The purpose is to introduce normal students to mentally impaired children with the hope that they will get to know each other well," GE Elfun Volunteer director Josephine Satyono said.
Josephine said not all mentally impaired children were helpless, thanks to their interests and hobbies.
During the event, some mentally impaired children were seen knitting and sewing, or being trained to knit and sew. Their products were displayed and sold at the venue.
Others who have interests in sports are trained to become good athletes. Josephine said in four Special Olympics for mentally retarded athletes, Indonesia won 33 gold, 26 silver and 20 bronze medals.
Amos, for example, won a gold medal in the 100-meter sprint in the latest edition of the Special Olympics in Dublin last year.
"The only thing that they need is the opportunity to do what normal kids do," said Josephine.
The Ministry of Social Affairs' Director of Social Rehabilitation and Services Robinson Saragih agreed with Josephine, saying that mentally impaired children should be treated based on human rights and not charity.
Law No. 4/1997 on disabled people and Government Regulation No. 43/1998 on accessibility for the disabled spell out the right of the physically and mentally impaired to have access to public services through such physical infrastructure as ramps, elevators, public telephones and restrooms, as well as access to employment.
However, Robinson admitted that the country had not provided the disabled, whether physically or mentally, with enough public facilities.
"We are still trying to raise people's awareness about mentally retarded people and to make them familiar with them before enforcing the law," he said.