12-yr-old with Down's Syndrome a passionate dancer

NEW DELHI: Twelve-year-old Mukund Ganjoo has Down's Syndrome and he loves to dance to the latest Bollywood songs. He goes to Shiamak Davar dance classes.
Showing off those dance moves, Mukund was part of a gentle interaction filled with fun, frolic, laughter and games, between children with special needs and students of Manzil, an NGO for underprivileged children, who came together for a picnic on Sunday morning at Lodhi Garden.
The picnic was organised by the differently-abled children's parents, who are part of the support group Saath.
The children, between the age groups of 10 and 13, were quick to bond, never mind that it might have been the first time one of the underprivileged children was meeting a child with autism, learning disabilities or some other neurological problem. And vice versa. They sang songs and played games together.
The parents too let their hair down.
Rachna Nagpal talked of her son Revant. "My son has had multiple brain surgeries because he suffers from hydrocephalus (fluid retention in the brain). He has trouble with fine motor movement. But it was overwhelming to see him interact with other children."
Saath works as a network for resources and emotional support during moments of stress, apart from looking for and creating solutions like assisted living and career opportunities for young adults with special needs. The support group started a few months back with 50-odd parents from various city schools, coming together to share with each other experiences of parenting children with autism or with learning disabilities. Their goal is to help each other ensure a secure future for their children.
Take Sonia, who is 45, has cerebral palsy and who teaches at Manzil, where slum children are taught music, art and theatre. Sonia's mother Indira Gulati runs Manzil.
The fathers are just as enthusiastic as the mothers.
Jaideep Mahajan, who has an 11-year-old autistic child, said, "The best thing about a social interaction of this sort is that the child gets acceptance with no questions asked. Getting an opportunity to interact with normal children is crucial for the healthy growth of children. As parents, we did the research work and started exploring every little facility we could arrange for our child. Now, my son Sahil is a very good drummer and a swimmer.''
Shalini Gupta, another parent of a special child, said: "Our group is all about spreading joy and sharing the burden of parenting a child with special needs. We provide emotional support to parents and meet once a week. We also have an e-group and are constantly in touch. Like their children, the parents of special needs children also isolate themselves -- that mindset we want to change.''