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Parents with disabled children have been advised to register them with a national agency so that they can enjoy the benefits of various government programmes.

Many parents hide their children at home and cannot get the help they need, said Winfred Wairimu, head of the Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities.

Registration will help the government get the correct numbers of these children and this will aid in budgeting and getting them the basic items they require, Wairimu added.

“We urge parents to register their children so that we create a database for proper planning and streamline our services,” she said.
“There are various programmes outlined for these special-needs children and they can only benefit from them if they are registered with the [National Council for People Living with Disabilities].”

Many parents, she said, hide their children due to the fear of stigmatisation and some don’t even seek medical care when their children fall sick, thus making their living conditions worse.

The disabilities agency is raising public awareness so as to stem stigma against special-needs children.

“Hiding these children at home will only make things worse for them, especially when they fall sick and cannot be taken to hospital for medical care,” she added.

Parents with special-needs children can benefit from financial assistance and bursaries, said Murang’a County director for social services Esther Makena.

The children, she added, have a right to education but only a few are sent to school, urging parents to enroll them at special-needs schools.