AUTISM, HYPERACTIVITY AMONG PROBLEMS PLAGUING GOA'S CHILDREN

By Frederick Noronha

PANJIM, May 14: Sangath Society, a non-profit organisations et up
in 1996 in Alto Porvorim, says it has become the largest provider
of child and family guidance services in Goa.

Sangath said it has around 350 new referrals per year, and was
dealing with a wide range of health problems encountered among
children and others in Goa -- including autism, hyperactivity,
learning difficulties, depression and family conflict.

Sangath Society has been working on child development and family
guidance for some time now, and is located at Alto Porvorim.  It
can be contacted via telephone on 414916 and has a web-page at
www.goacom.com/community/sangath

"Our key philosphy is simple: community health issues are linked
to one another and multi-disciplinary responses are the most
appropriate. Sangath works for the mental health of children and
families along the entire life span," says the organisation.

Sangath's team currently consists of senior professionals, full-
time staff and volunteers.

Senior professionals include Dr Nandita de Souza, a developmental
paediatrician, and psychiatrist Dr Vikram Patel.

Others on the team include speech-therapist Nazneen Sarosh-
Rebelo, clinical psychologist Gracey Andrews, social worker Fiona
Dias-Saxena, and administrator Sujata Noronha.

There are some 15 other staff, including five psychologists, five
teachers, one social worker and a paediatrician. Volunteers and
honorary staff include teachers, doctors and social workers.

"Sangath started off with a focus on providing the first multi-
disciplinary, community-based child development and family
guidance service in Goa. Since then our activities have grown to
cover all the major areas of children's lives, from early infancy
to adolesence," says the organisation.

It says that child development, in its view, "goes well beyond
looking at the child alone". It argues that violence in families
and maternal mental illness are "important factors in child
development".

Children spend a significant proportion of their lives in schools
and some problems are especially encountered during their
education. Sangath's three major areas of activity are
strengthening the primary services for children, advocating for a
"healthier" learning environment, and providing resources for
family guidance and women's mental health.

Sangath has also undertaken a community-based early intervention
program for babies at high-risk for developmental problems.
Besides, a multi-faceted program has also been worked on for
family violence, providing support to women, children and men.

Sangath says it has taken part in the largest study on the use of
brief counselling treatment for depression in general health care
in India, and also undertook the first Indian study on the
"predicators and impact" of maternal depression on mothers,
fathers and infants.

Likewise, Sangath has done the first Goan study on the health
needs of adolescents in secondary schools, and the first study on
the impact of alcoholism on family health.

Its projects are currently supported by national and
international agencies, including the MacArthur Foundation (US),
the Welcome Trust (UK), the Rotary Foundation, NIMHANS of
Bangalore, CRY and VHAI (both from India).

It has sought support from those interested in this issue, and
said that donations are exempt under Section 80G of the Income
Tax Act.

"Sangath has big plans for its future. It wishes to be one of the
leading advocates for child development and family health in the
country," says the organisation.

It also seeks to extend its child guidance services to the
underpriviledged and under-served areas of Goa, develop a
Learning Centre for children with special needs, and work to
empower basic health workers and families to deal with children
who have developmental and emotional problems.

Contact Sangath at vpatel@goa1.dot.net.in