Individuals with disabilities should be allowed to do the daily chores they learn at special schools or institutes at home, said those who work in the disability sector.

Parents have to be patient with them and allow them to do everyday things like preparing coffee for themselves or family members, making the bed, making a salad or maybe peeling a pomegranate, depending on the severity of disability of an individual, they said.

“We teach young adults to make coffee, and some of them also learn to cook.
But the challenge is that these activities that they learn in school do not get transferred to their homes. Parents do not let them repeat these at home,” said Namita Somani, who
runs an organisation for individuals with special needs.

Somani said that if an individual has learnt to peel a pomegranate and is doing it, parents have to appreciate the effort and encourage them to do so.

“It is not an easy task for that individual, but they have learnt it. We tell parents that they have to encourage them to do it at home as well,” said
Somani.

She runs the Amrit Somani Memorial Centre.

In some places, individuals are taught to cut vegetables, for which they have to use sharp blades. It is part of their vocational training.

“Repetition and reinforcement are important strategies for learning. If it is not repeated at home, the learning remains incomplete,” said Amita Prasad, director, Manovikas
Kendra.

If individuals with disabilities are not allowed to do things on their own, often what they learn gets reversed and the purpose with which the institute is teaching them gets defeated, said a psychiatrist.

“The completion of the task gives them confidence and a sense of achievement, which we as mental health professionals promote,” said psychiatrist Sanjay Garg.

Special educators and psychiatrists said that often parents become overprotective and are scared of their children using knives or sharp objects.

“Individuals with disabilities often might not be able to do a chore appropriately, and the parents might have to redo the same chore. But even if that is so, they have to let them do it,” said Garg.

“The primary objective should be to teach them life skills that would enable them to lead an independent life.”

The discrepancy between home and school makes them confused.

“Because they spend more time at home, they might not be willing to do the chores at home, which might lead to behavioural issues,” he said.

The Manovikas Kendra director said that parents want to give their best to their children, but often a lack of awareness and guidance makes it difficult for
them.

“Parents struggle at times with the lack of support systems,” said
Prasad.

“Proper awareness and training sessions with the parents would help them make their children future-ready. The sessions should be both with
experts and other parents with whom they can share their notes and concerns,” she added.

Garg said that efforts should be made to make them independent.

They should be able to prepare food for themselves and go to the bank and do basic financial transactions, he said.

"We often underestimate the capacity of children and realise they cannot do a chore because they are not given the opportunity," said Garg.