Kanhangad: An ‘Autism Park’ is coming up at Melankote here as part of a government project to set up such facilities in each district. The proposed facility is planned next to the A C Kannan Nair Memorial Government Upper Primary School.
The proposed site for the park was inspected by Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, District Collector D Sajith Babu and chairperson of the municipality V V Ramesan.
Kanhangad was selected for the purpose in Kasargod district following the special interest taken by Minister Chandrasekharan in this regard. “The main aim of the park is to bring autism-affected kids to the mainstream along with the other youngsters. This is the idea behind setting up the Autism park right next to the UP School,” the Minister said.
The park will include facilities like speech therapy room, occupational therapy room, developmental therapy room, special education room, counselling, waiting room, play room, multi-purpose hall, sensory park and play ground.
Administrative sanction has already been given for the park, for which the infrastructural cost would come to Rs 50 lakh.
The Autism Park is being built without affecting the functioning of the nearby school. The land required for the purpose would be surveyed and marked under the supervision of the special tahsildar soon. A building of 2,000 sq. ft. area and other facilities would comprise the park.
Among those who took part in a meeting held to discuss the project included district educational officer K V Pushpa, assistant executive engineer of the building section of public works department A Anil Kumar, sub-district educational officer P V Jayarajan, school development committee chairman P Appukkuttan, PTA president K V Sugathan and headmaster Kodakkad Narayanan.