{
  "abstract": "Across many low- and middle-income countries (LICs and MICs), children with developmental disabilities are among the most marginalized, too often defined by deficits rather than possibilities. What is frequently missing in intervention models is not skill or knowledge, but a recognition of the humanising power of love to unlock resilience and growth. This pilot project introduces Universal Love as a practical and measurable framework for advancing child development, operationalized through the LUVORA model: Love, Uniformity, Virtue, Openness, Resilience, and Acceptance. The project’s objectives are to (1) demonstrate Universal Love as a catalyst for developmental progress, (2) embed love-informed practices into caregiver, classroom, and community settings, and (3) evaluate outcomes for children and families using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A mixed-method design will be applied in two community-based rehabilitation centres and one inclusive school, combining narrative accounts from caregivers and teachers with pre- and post-intervention measures of resilience, adaptive functioning, and participation. Expected findings include enhanced self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and social participation among children, alongside reduced caregiver stress and strengthened family bonds. At the community level, it is anticipated that compassion-driven practices will reduce stigma and encourage greater inclusion. The study concludes that Universal Love is not an abstract philosophy but a scalable and culture-sensitive intervention strategy. By embedding LUVORA principles into real-world disability programs, this pilot aims to offer policymakers and practitioners a transformative model to reimagine care, education, and inclusion in underserved contexts.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka"
      ],
      "name": "Niluka Hettige"
    }
  ],
  "title": "153 Universal love as a framework for child flourishing: a pilot project introducing Luvora-inspired approaches to child development in LICs and MICs",
  "uid": "a1641878-9d05-5a9e-908f-1a0b36185e9a"
}