Simaton Mpaayei: Helping special needs children

Simaton Mpaayei is the founder of Therapy for Kids (T4K), a centre that provides Occupational, Speech and Language, Physiotherapy, Sensory integration and nutrition therapies that address children and young adults’ developmental
and behavioral challenges. Being a parent of a child with special needs, she knows too well the struggles of such parents as she shares with MWAURA MUIGANA.
When I visited Therapies for Kids (TFK) located on the first floor of Greenhouse on Ngong Road in Nairobi, I was impressed by the ambience. The centre is set immaculately with six beautifully designed cubicles called the Universal Exercise Units. I didn’ t wait to be asked to remove my shoes. I placed them on a rack as I saw everyone do and was then escorted in.
I could hear soft music from the cubicles. I peeked in one of the suites and saw a child seated on what looked like a complex machine and there was a therapist attending to him. I noticed similar activities in all the other suits as we walked through. Amazed at how different this place looked compared to most hospitals with physiotherapy or occupational therapy departments, I complemented Simaton on her effort.
“The choice of this kind of atmosphere is very deliberate,” she says as we settle down for the interview. Simaton recalls the challenges she faced caring for her child who has special needs. “For a long time, I was gloomy and meeting other parents wearing long faces at different hospital’s physiotherapy departments didn’ t make things any better. I resolved to change the lives of children like my precious son, one child at a time and give the care of special children a positive outlook in a conducive healing environment through TFK,” she explains. TFK works with children with physical and mental impairements using planned programmes that involve parents and caregivers.
The impairments include cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism.
There are also children who don’ t seem to have any physical problem but have issues coping with life or catching up with schoolwork such as dyslexics. Through the help of special education teachers at the centre, these children with special needs eventually learn to cope in school and life in general.
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