Place Neurodevelopmental Clinic, Green Memorial Hospital, Manipay & Conference Hall, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna
Time Duration April 2025 – November 2025
Supervisor Prof. S. Kumaran – Professor in Family Medicine, Department of Community and Family Medicine
Batch / Group 45th Batch – Group 06
This field health programme focused on promoting child safety by educating healthcare workers on how to teach Good Touch and Bad Touch concepts to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) attending the Neurodevelopmental Clinic at Green Memorial Hospital, Manipay. Children with ASD are particularly vulnerable to inappropriate touch due to communication difficulties, sensory differences, and challenges in understanding social boundaries. Recognising this, the project adopted an indirect yet more effective approach by training the caregivers and healthcare workers who interact with these children daily. The programme was carried out in two main phases. The first phase involved an observation visit to the Autism Clinic to understand the behaviour, communication styles, and practical challenges faced by children with ASD. This assessment confirmed that direct teaching to the children would not be effective, and informed the design of the second phase. The second phase consisted of a structured training workshop for healthcare workers at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna (08 August 2025). The workshop included a presentation on touch safety, demonstrations using visual banners with body diagrams, doll-based teaching tools, and role-play scenarios modelling appropriate responses to unsafe situations.
A follow-up assessment conducted on 24 November 2025 showed encouraging improvements:
children displayed reduced inappropriate touch behaviours (30–50% reduction reported) and better recognition of body boundaries. Healthcare workers reported increased confidence in continuing the teaching process. The programme successfully strengthened caregiver knowledge and contributed to a safer, more supportive environment for children with ASD.
Supervisor
Prof. S. Kumaran
Professor in Family Medicine
Department of Community and Family Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna
