The story of Karthik is helpful in visualizing the anxieties of a mother as she tries to grapple with her child’s identification with a disability. In an Indian setting, it is often difficult for the parents to cope with a child being diagnosed with a disability. Parents and other caregivers get so wrapped up in the process of identifying, accepting and understanding the child’s disability that most of them forget that above all he/she is a child first. Instead, they continue to find ways to make the child’s condition better and fit him or her into society. The major reasons for their anxieties are the lack of awareness about their condition and challenges, the limited support system and the intense societal pressures. The myths surrounding the issues of disability also make the situation demanding for the caregivers. Thus, the need of the hour is to strengthen parents’ knowledge about disabilities by spreading awareness through community engagement programs.

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