The Chamarajanagar district administration, in collaboration with the Departments of Women and Child Development, and Health and Family Welfare, and the Mysuru-based All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), has launched the Programme for Assessment of Young Children for Auditory and Speech-Language Skills (PrAYAAS) in the Karnataka district on Friday.
Minister in charge of the district K. Venkatesh, who is also the Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister, launched the initiative at an anganwadi in ward no. 10 of Karinanjanapura Layout.
The initiative focuses on speech (vocal) and hearing tests for anganwadi children. After launching the programme and wishing success to the scheme, Mr. Venkatesh reviewed the screening process that began for the children.
Appreciating the initiative, MLA for Chamarajanagar C. Puttarangashetty said that the programme is being implemented for the first time in the State by the Chamarajanagar district administration, and described it as a progressive step for supporting the learning processes of children.
Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Nag said that parents often notice their child’s inability to hear or speak clearly only at a later stage, and poor families in rural areas may not be able to afford treatment. Therefore, the district administration partnered with AIISH Mysuru to provide free medical services for all children aged between six months and six years, she added.
The programme identifies and treats speech and hearing problems among anganwadi children at an early stage and also trains anganwadi workers to recognise early symptoms of speech and hearing impairment. It also aims to develop a comprehensive plan of action to provide screening and treatment facilities at the district hospital for affected persons.
The district has 440 anganwadis with about 37,800 children. Of these, the target for the current year is to screen 35,326 children. The programme has been launched symbolically, and training for anganwadi workers by master trainers will be conducted next month. The scheme will then be rolled out across all anganwadis in the district, the Deputy Commissioner informed.
According to AIISH, research indicates that about 14% of children are at a risk of having speech, language, or hearing difficulties, which, if left unaddressed, can hinder their overall development. In view of this, PrAYAAS aims to identify all such children aged 6 months to 6 years across the district and provide timely interventions.
Screening will be carried out by experienced speech-language pathologists and audiologists from AIISH and ENT surgeons from the District Hospital. Conditions such as speech delays, mispronunciations, stammering, voice disorders, lack of social interaction, hearing loss, and ear infections will be assessed, a press release from AIISH said.
The initiative, scheduled to run until March 31, 2026, will be implemented in five phases.
Published – August 16, 2025 06:40 pm IST
