HARARE, Aug. 10 (NewsDay Live) — L’Arche Zimbabwe has launched a campaign to promote the early identification of intellectual disabilities in children, saying timely intervention can improve school readiness, independence and long-term quality of life.
The organisation’s senior officer, Maggie Chasuka, said early identification and intervention were critical because children were often referred for support when significant developmental challenges had already emerged.
“We prioritise early identification because timing is everything in childhood development. We often receive children late in the development of the disability and with a lot of damage already done,” Chasuka told NewsDay Weekender.
She said early identification involved recognising developmental delays, disabilities or atypical growth patterns in infants and young children by monitoring motor, communication, cognitive and social-emotional milestones.
“Proactive screening is meant to identify a wide range of conditions before they fully manifest or cause permanent, secondary complications,” Chasuka said.
She said areas of focus included cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, developmental co-ordination disorder, speech and language delays, as well as genetic and neuromuscular conditions.
“By mapping a child’s current functional abilities against established developmental trajectories, healthcare providers can intervene during the most critical windows of human growth,” she said.
Chasuka said L’Arche Zimbabwe would run the awareness campaign throughout this month to encourage parents and communities to seek assessments when children show signs of developmental delays.
Occupational therapist Brandon Chamburera said early intervention was particularly important because the brain had a high capacity to adapt during childhood.
“An infant’s brain is highly adaptable, making early childhood the most critical window for shaping these pathways,” he said.
“When a child receives targeted therapy during this peak period of brain development, the intervention can actually alter the way the brain processes information and controls movement.”
Chamburera said timely physical and occupational therapy could also help prevent secondary complications such as muscle contractures, joint deformities and chronic pain.
“Through this support, a person with disabilities is able to live a more fulfilling life. Most importantly, the interventions promote independent living,” he said.
He said L’Arche Zimbabwe had partnered with Agence Française de Développement on initiatives aimed at improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.
“Early identification reduces the long-term societal demand for specialised housing, assistive technology, and continuous institutional care,” Chamburera said.
“We work hard all the time to empower communities to create conducive environments for persons with disabilities to integrally develop and live healthy lives.”