The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In Bhutan, children with disabilities often face barriers to accessing early intervention, specialized care, and inclusive education.
Since its inception in 2012, Ability Bhutan Society (ABS) has been working to bridge these gaps, providing support and services that help children achieve their full potential and improve their quality of life.
Currently, Ability Bhutan Society (ABS) has 47 children with disabilities registered under its programs. The organization notes that the number of new registrations has been steadily increasing each year, reflecting both growing awareness and outreach efforts.
The organization works with children aged 0 to 9, considering cases up to 14 years old.
The majority of the children fall within the 4 to 7-year-old age group, highlighting the critical early childhood period for intervention and support.
When asked about the range of disability severity among the children, the ABS said, “In recent years, we have higher number of children with autism and children with speech delay .” The organisation further stated, “We are being able to cater to them with our well experienced social workers but with a speech therapist, its bit challenging.”
The absence of a dedicated speech therapist highlights a gap in specialized support, which can limit progress for children with speech delays and affect their overall communication development.
ABS also faces significant challenges in delivering services to children with moderate to severe disabilities. These include a lack of resources, limited manpower, an insufficiently inclusive environment, and inadequate space.
Such challenges can limit the quality and frequency of interventions, delay progress in learning and development, and restrict opportunities for children to participate fully in social and educational activities, ultimately affecting their overall growth and independence. The organization emphasized, “Despite these challenges we try to provide best we can.”
This shows how both the dedication of the staff and the systemic gaps that continue to affect service delivery, particularly for children requiring more intensive care.
To support children with disabilities in reaching their full potential, Ability Bhutan Society has developed a range of structured programs to their needs. The ABS said, “The core programs and services ABS delivers for children with disabilities include early intervention focusing on sitting tolerance, communication, motor development, behavioural skills, school readiness, and activities of daily living (ADLs).”
These programs aim to provide children with the essential skills for independence, learning and social integration.
Ability Bhutan Society relies primarily on its social workers to deliver intervention services, while also collaborating with local speech, physiotherapy, and occupational therapists, as well as international partners, to provide comprehensive support for children with disabilities.
Over the years, ABS has seen numerous success stories, with many children gradually learning to walk and speak.
Since its inception in 2012, the organization has recorded a significant number of positive transitions each year, making a tangible difference in the lives of children with disabilities.
However, ABS said, “Current national policies in Bhutan make meaningful strides, but there remain significant gaps especially for an organization like ABS that works intensively with children with disabilities.”
The organization highlighted the need to improve early intervention, inclusive infrastructure, human resources, access to learning materials and assistive technology, social protection, and community awareness.
ABS added that, over time, they hope Bhutan can provide the best services for children and people with disabilities.
While Ability Bhutan Society has made significant progress in supporting children with disabilities, critical gaps remain, including the lack of specialized professionals such as speech therapists, limited resources, and inadequate inclusive infrastructure.
