Saraswathi Devi Tallagaprada (1944-2018) member of the Scientific Board of EJID/JEDI
We have the regret to annonce the passing away of Dr Saraswathi Devi Tallagaprada. This wonderfull and charitable woman dedicated her life to the caring of underprivileged people, especially poor children. After her Master’s degree in Political Science and two degrees in Theater and Arts from the University of Andhra (AP, India), she followed specific training and conducted extensive studies as part of continuing education in the field of mental retardation in the United States and Germany. Her academic life inspired her in the founding of “Lebenshilfe for the Mentally Disrelished”, where children are cared for by a team of 120 committed and dedicated people. She has integrated the tiger dance, an ancient art form of Andhra Pradesh, into therapy to control aggression in children with disabilities. For 4 years, she led the research project “Hug Them Tight” in collaboration with the University Hospitals of Geneva. She also introduced “Snoezelen”, a Dutch therapy designed to provide mental and physical comfort to people with severe mental disabilities with various behavioral disorders. In 1962, she founded the Lebenshilfe School for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Visakhapatnam, India. In 2014, she received a PhD in Education from Andhra University.
Swiss Association - India Intellectual Disability
