Our Forum of Special Moms met for the third time on April 1, 2022. The Forum was held at Asha Nivas, 9 Rutland Gate, Thousand Lights, Chennai 600006. As on this date, 60 Special Mom families are now part of Sri Arunodayam. The program commenced with lunch, followed by in-depth sessions of particular interest to families living with special children.

• Stress Management for Caregivers – conducted by Ms. Sruthy Anand, Psychologist, Lions Club of Chennai Golden Hands
• Yoga and Meditation for Families with Special Children – conducted by Mr. Yoga Sharan V. S. Prakash, Founder, Atma Niranjan Yoga Vidyalaya, Chennai
• Eye exercises specifically for Special Moms
• Networking activities for Special Parents
• Cultural programs and games for Special Children

While mothers and adult family members attended the sessions, the children attended cultural and fun activities that were organized in parallel with the help of volunteers from Good Shepherd Convent. The families appeared at ease and were eager to relate and share their experiences. This was the welcome break they needed from their daily routines and challenges. Although many families in our Forum are ignored or discriminated against by their communities, through this inclusive platform they are able to network, learn, share, and be heard. At the Forum they get a chance to share about strategies that work and those that don’t. Many special moms have become entrepreneurs, special school founders, and child advocates, and their experiences serve to help those that are still struggling to see a way forward. These families are transforming themselves and their communities in ways that are becoming hard to ignore.