The Directorate General of Special Education organized a one-week capacity-building workshop to equip teachers and professionals with practical techniques for supporting children with cerebral palsy in educational settings. The training brought together rehabilitation specialists and 26 staff members from the National Special Education Centre for Physically Handicapped Children in Islamabad to cover assessment, management, socio-emotional support, speech therapy, physiotherapy, and multidisciplinary classroom strategies.
The National Institute of Special Education, the training arm of the Directorate General of Special Education, ran the program for staff of the National Special Education Centre for Physically Handicapped Children in G-8/4, Islamabad. The workshop addressed the practical introduction, assessment and management of cerebral palsy, and focused on classroom handling and support strategies suited to school environments.
Sessions covered socio-emotional challenges faced by children with cerebral palsy and mitigation strategies, speech impairments and remedial therapies, and the role of physiotherapy and multidisciplinary collaboration in the classroom. Instruction combined lectures with hands-on demonstrations to translate theory into practical classroom techniques.
Senior officials and expert facilitators led the training. Director General Capt (R) Asif Iqbal Asif attended the opening session and emphasized the importance of strengthening professional competencies. Presenters included Professor Dr. Qamar Mehmood of Riphah International University, special educationist Meena Asad, speech pathologist and consultant Shabaz Akhtar Khalid, and senior physiotherapist Jawwad Afzal.
Twenty-six teachers and professionals participated actively, exchanging experiences and engaging in discussions. The workshop produced practical recommendations to improve classroom practice and highlighted the need for follow-up training aimed at developing Individual Rehabilitation Plans for every enrolled child with cerebral palsy to ensure more structured, child-centered support.
The Directorate General of Special Education reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing quality education, professional development, and comprehensive rehabilitation services for children with special needs across the Islamabad Capital Territory.
