Teach India
Times of India discusses special programs and inclusion for Learning Disabled Kids in India.
Aranya is eight and in her drawings, elephants can fly. She enjoys art and has a vivid imagination, but when it comes to her studies, she struggles with writing and concentration.
Aranya is suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a neuro-behavioural developmental disorder. The condition manifests itself during childhood and is characterised by a persistent pattern of inattention, forgetfulness, poor impulse control and distraction.
Often children like Aranya are labelled 'lazy' or 'dumb' although they are neither. "My daughter is very creative. She loves painting animals and working with clay. All she needs is a little more time to grasp her lessons. It is unfortunate that in the pursuit of high scores the power of the imagination is under-estimated," says Aranya's mother.
Every child is unique and has his/her own needs. While some need more help to learn and take longer, in the end, they can all learn. "No two children learn the same way. A child has to discover how she/he learns best. There are three ways in which we learn and remember things – by seeing, hearing or doing," says Geet Oberoi, founder-president, Orkids, The Multidisciplinary Clinic.
Children with special educational needs (SEN) find learning more difficult than the majority of children their age. Although the reasons could be diverse, what is most important is that nearly all these children can reach their full potential with additional support and understanding.
NO CHARITY, PLEASE
Inclusive education means every child irrespective of gender, religion, socio-economic background or needs has the right to attend a mainstream school. Though the government claims to ensure education for every child, schools still lack an inclusive environment where students with different learning needs are made to feel welcome.
Oberoi, however, cautions that though inclusive education is the new mantra, it is not a given that all children with special needs would benefit from it. Instead, she says, "We need to focus on a child's specific needs and then analyse how a mainstream classroom can benefit the child in his/her learning process."
According to Satish Kapoor, founder-director, Brotherhood, "Inclusion is an extremely complex process as traditional ways of thinking and organising education are challenged at the deepest level. It denotes more than the physical placement of a child. It is the provision of educational services to all students in such a manner that all of them, with and without disability, belong, and are considered equal members of the classroom. Besides, society has an equally important role to play in achieving inclusion."
Many schools follow an integrated approach rather than an inclusive one, which means that they have SEN departments within the school to assess children and accordingly provide extra learning support.
Aranya is eight and in her drawings, elephants can fly. She enjoys art and has a vivid imagination, but when it comes to her studies, she struggles with writing and concentration.
Aranya is suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a neuro-behavioural developmental disorder. The condition manifests itself during childhood and is characterised by a persistent pattern of inattention, forgetfulness, poor impulse control and distraction.
Often children like Aranya are labelled 'lazy' or 'dumb' although they are neither. "My daughter is very creative. She loves painting animals and working with clay. All she needs is a little more time to grasp her lessons. It is unfortunate that in the pursuit of high scores the power of the imagination is under-estimated," says Aranya's mother.
Every child is unique and has his/her own needs. While some need more help to learn and take longer, in the end, they can all learn. "No two children learn the same way. A child has to discover how she/he learns best. There are three ways in which we learn and remember things – by seeing, hearing or doing," says Geet Oberoi, founder-president, Orkids, The Multidisciplinary Clinic.
Children with special educational needs (SEN) find learning more difficult than the majority of children their age. Although the reasons could be diverse, what is most important is that nearly all these children can reach their full potential with additional support and understanding.
NO CHARITY, PLEASE
Inclusive education means every child irrespective of gender, religion, socio-economic background or needs has the right to attend a mainstream school. Though the government claims to ensure education for every child, schools still lack an inclusive environment where students with different learning needs are made to feel welcome.
Oberoi, however, cautions that though inclusive education is the new mantra, it is not a given that all children with special needs would benefit from it. Instead, she says, "We need to focus on a child's specific needs and then analyse how a mainstream classroom can benefit the child in his/her learning process."
According to Satish Kapoor, founder-director, Brotherhood, "Inclusion is an extremely complex process as traditional ways of thinking and organising education are challenged at the deepest level. It denotes more than the physical placement of a child. It is the provision of educational services to all students in such a manner that all of them, with and without disability, belong, and are considered equal members of the classroom. Besides, society has an equally important role to play in achieving inclusion."
Many schools follow an integrated approach rather than an inclusive one, which means that they have SEN departments within the school to assess children and accordingly provide extra learning support.
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