MALAYSIANSKINI: Following the birth of her second child Ivanna Nehandra Tara in 2005, Usha Gopalan Nair found herself placed in what she likes to call her “new job” - being a special needs mum.

Ivanna, who turns 18 in May, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby - a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.

“There was this new journey in my life (with) endless hurdles. I had to face it and I knew being special needs, there were going to be a lot of challenges that (Ivanna) was going to face but I took it in a positive way by trying to make life as normal as possible.

“Life as a special needs mum is sometimes very rewarding but extremely challenging,” she said, adding that many people viewed disability as a taboo subject.