Helping children with disabilities build confidence and integrate into the community.

The teaching methods and dedicated support of the teachers at Can Tho Special Education School have helped many children with disabilities progress. From academic classes and vocational training to martial arts classes, the school has helped them learn, build confidence, and gradually integrate into the community.

Students with disabilities receive free martial arts training on the grounds of Can Tho Special Education School.

As dusk fell, on the school grounds, more than a dozen children in white martial arts uniforms lined up neatly, waiting for the instructor's command. Some were deaf or mute; some had intellectual disabilities or motor difficulties, but they were still eager to attend martial arts class. After a few hours of calling for them to line up, the old martial arts master gestured with his hands to divide the children into groups for practice. Although the exercises were quite difficult for the students, the old master patiently and persistently guided them through each movement.

The martial arts master is Phan Quang Thuan, over 70 years old, a well-known figure in the martial arts community of Can Tho and the Mekong Delta. He has dedicated his life to Taekwondo and founded the Taekwondo Club. Master Thuan has reached the seventh-degree black belt, becoming a grand master in the discipline. Speaking about how he became the instructor for this special martial arts class, Mr. Thuan said that three years ago, noticing that the students here were shy, lacked confidence, and were easily bullied, he and the school collaborated to open a martial arts class for them. Initially, due to hesitation, only a few students participated, but later the number increased, at one point reaching 20 students practicing regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “Because many students had difficulty communicating, we had to ask the teachers at the school to ‘translate.’ After a while, we gradually became proficient in sign language, so teaching martial arts became easier,” Master Thuan shared.

To date, the martial arts class for children with disabilities has attracted many other martial arts masters to participate in teaching, with the criteria of no tuition fees, no performance targets, and the most important thing being to help children with disabilities improve their physical fitness, build self-confidence, and gradually integrate into the community. The martial arts masters say that each child has a different learning ability, and therefore the instructors must change their approach accordingly. Some children take a whole month to get used to the training environment, while others cannot stand still for more than a few minutes. Instead of forcing them, the instructors choose to talk and play with the children to create a sense of safety before starting the class. After a while, many children who were once withdrawn, afraid of contact, and afraid to look at others... are now proactively greeting, shaking hands with friends, and standing in front of crowds.

Teaching martial arts is just one of many activities at the Can Tho Special Education School. This is a specialized facility for deaf, blind, autistic, and intellectually disabled children in Can Tho and the Mekong Delta provinces. Mr. Nguyen Van Diep, the school's principal, said: Currently, the school organizes cultural education combined with rehabilitation and vocational guidance for deaf, blind, autistic, or intellectually disabled students. In addition to boarding students, many children are brought to school daily by their families for intervention and skill development.

Besides skill-building classes, one of the school's important tasks is early intervention for children under six years old. Teachers focus on guiding children in recognizing sounds, practicing pronunciation, developing communication reflexes, motor skills, and the ability to interact with those around them. For hearing-impaired children, sign language learning is implemented in parallel with mouth shape and pronunciation training to help them communicate more easily. The school also provides a Braille library and instruction on using computers and text-reading software to assist visually impaired children. Mr. Le Thanh Hai (computer science teacher) shared: “From the very first days at the school, I set a goal to help the children use computers proficiently. This work requires perseverance. First, I learned sign language so I could teach deaf and mute children. Then, I researched software so that visually impaired children could also use computers easily. It took me almost two years of teaching before I could communicate normally with them.”

Along with the cultural program, the school also organizes vocational classes such as sewing, embroidery, and cake decorating to develop professional skills for students. Many students, after completing the program, have found employment in garment factories, bakeries, or have started working independently to help their families. Some students have developed the ability to use computers, smartphones, and communicate independently after receiving support for a long period. The teachers' work is not limited to teaching knowledge; they also support students in their daily lives, monitor their psychology, and guide them in self-care skills. The teachers have independently learned sign language, special education skills, and specific intervention methods for each type of disability.

According to school leaders, the school currently faces many difficulties and shortages in its facilities. At times, the school has to utilize the gymnasium and common room as temporary accommodation for students from distant areas; some rehabilitation equipment, vocational training equipment, and teaching materials are lacking, while operating funds mainly rely on the budget and social support... However, with the ultimate goal of helping children with disabilities become independent, access education, and have opportunities to participate in social life appropriate to their abilities, the school consistently maintains extracurricular activities, arts and sports to enhance communication skills and help students with disabilities gradually integrate into the community.

According to nhandan.vn

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/giup-tre-khuyet-tat-tu-tin-hoa-nhap-cong-dong-a241396.html