A workshop on ‘Identifying Milestones at the Right Age and the Holistic Development of the Child’ was conducted on June 24, 2019 at Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Nerul for parents of Amrita Nursery and Junior KG children. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Pankaj Popli and Ms. Akshata Popli who provide Occupational Therapy and Remedial Therapy. They have been practicing in the field of Child Development and Adult Rehabilitation since 2006, and their association with Amrita Vidyalayam for the past couple of years has helped tremendously in contributing towards the welfare of the children.
The session began with a prayer after which Pre-primary Coordinator Ms. Priya Menon introduced the speakers as well as School Counselor Ms. Gayatri Nathani Patil.
Dr. Pankaj Popli conducted the first session. He spoke about ‘Development Screening’ where parents have to be cautious during the developmental stage of the child as the formative years are very important for their holistic development. Parents were sensitized towards early identification of ADHD or Autism by observing the child’s motor development skills. They were advised to report any anomalies which they see in their children to the school which would help the school to guide the children at an early age. An audio visual clip helped parents understand that a child’s mental health with regards to his/her power of analyzing, retaining and communicating also has to be observed for judging overall growth.
The second session was conducted by Ms. Akshata Popli who focussed on slow learning which includes the child’s eating, speaking and writing skills. The parents were made aware that all of the above were interlinked and causes delayed growth compared to other children of the same age. She also stressed on strict hygiene and the right kind of nutrition to be followed in order to enhance the child’s physical and mental wellbeing.
The parents interacted very freely with the resource persons and as most were young parents, a lot of questions were asked. They were happy to get their doubts cleared regarding their child’s growth. The workshop ended with words of wisdom by Principal Brni. Rekha N. and vote of thanks by the School Counselor.
