Special Educational Needs: Therapeutic motives

For those whose children are suffering from brain disorders and cannot fit into the mainstream education system, Shannon Kenitz is a ray of hope. An advocate of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy, Kenitz claims that many children have been cured of their mental and physical disorders and that they were able to join school by overcoming their handicap. The therapy helps balance the oxygen level required by brain cells and eventually activates them.

As executive director of the International Hyperbaric Association, Kenitz has become a flag-bearer for parents searching for answers to disorders and disabilities, like Autism Spectrum Disorders and Cerebral Palsy, in their children. Kenitz who is from California, was in the Capital recently to attend a conference organised by Udaan, a non-governmental organisation. "These children are fighting death, and educating them is the last thing on their parents' minds. The first step is to help them survive. And oxygen therapy has actually seen a history of cases where, after just a few years, children with cerebral palsy have recovered and even joined special schools," she said.

Kenitz herself has an eight-year-old daughter suffering from mitochondrial cytochrome c. Her daughter, Grace, is the first to have ever survived the disease. Grace was visually-impaired and had suffered seizures before undergoing oxygen therapy. Today, Grace is able to see and has only recently recognised her mother, for the first time in eight years. "When Grace was three years old, she was in a vegetative state and the doctors had given up on her. Now, I hope she will be able to join a school soon," said Kenitz.

Although Kenitz won the battle against the government and insurance companies, who had listed Grace as a terminal patient, she is still determined to spread awareness about the treatment available for brain-damaged children and to help parents like her.

"My goal is to work with the Indian government and help children who are suffering due to lack of awareness and could instead be educated," she added.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com