At A Special Chennai School, Children With Autism Learn A New Skill

Chennai: As the world celebrated World Autism Day on Sunday, students at a special school in Chennai spent the day designing paper jewellery.

Sanjay and Abhishek, both 14, and Rupak, 19, were busy making bangles and earrings when NDTV visited the school. While it earns the students up to Rs 2,000 a month, the teachers are focusing on improving their skills.

School's Director Gita Srikant said, "What we are looking at is developing a bouquet of leisure skills. While it could get generate some income, it's going to keep them productive, creative and engaged throughout the day"

At Anokhi, a popular boutique in the city, there are many takers for what these children produce. Akhila Krishnamurthy, the founder and owner says, "Hand crafting is an important aspect where children are actually engaging with material and creating such fantastic things. I think it's a great platform".

Autism affects one in every 68 people. There's no known cure for this disorder and diagnois and support are huge challenges for grown-up suffering from Autism. Being able to handle such creatie challenges is a big step for them.