The Directorate General of Special Education in Islamabad has installed a locally developed EKKO-Wave Therapeutic Device at the National Special Education Centre for Physically Handicapped Children to support speech, cognitive and motor rehabilitation for children with neurological impairments. The device, created by a team from NUST and DGSE, was formally received by the DGSE leadership, who pledged to expand such technology across the Directorate’s centres.
The EKKO-Wave is a non-invasive, wave-based therapy system designed to enhance speech, cognitive function and motor skills in children affected by conditions such as cerebral palsy and tongue dysarthria. Developers say the technology offers a practical, locally produced option for improving therapeutic outcomes in special education settings.
The device was developed under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Usman Akram of the EME College at NUST and director of the Biomedical Image & Signal Analysis Lab, with Shahbaz Khalid Ranjha, Consultant on Special Education at DGSE and an innovator in neuro-transmission cognitive therapy, contributing to the project.
The handover ceremony was attended by Captain (retd) Asif Iqbal Bhatti, Director General of Special Education, along with other DGSE directors. Officials noted that Secretary Education Nadeem Mehboob is strongly committed to integrating technology to add value to services for children with special needs.
Director General Asif Iqbal Bhatti praised the initiative and affirmed DGSE’s commitment to scaling such locally developed innovations across its network of centres to broaden access to advanced rehabilitative therapies for children with disabilities.
