It’s that time of the year when city students are filling up application forms for colleges, hoping to get their desired course and institute.
For those with learning disabilities though, the process is far more difficult, say experts. While schools, to a certain extent, have made changes to accommodate them, especially when it comes to exams, in colleges, barring a few, there is hardly any support structure, they say.
When D. Seetha’s son, who has dyslexia, was applying to engineering colleges four years ago, she found that there was next to no awareness about dyslexia in colleges. “My son scored well in his CBSE exams where he had the option of extra time, but when it comes to entrance exams for colleges, there is nothing. He got into a college, but when I tried to ask the university if any concessions would be given to him, they did not know anything about it,” she said.
Students with dyslexia, explained Geetha Raghavan, coordinator (training), Madras Dyslexia Association, often had problems with language and writing. “In school exams, the State Board allows them to drop the second language and CBSE allows them to choose another subject instead. But when they finish, and apply to colleges, they often find that they have to opt for a language, which they struggle with. They try and apply only to courses where they feel they can do well so options are limited,” she said.
Apart from extra time and dropping a language, school exams also allow the use of calculators, and in some cases, the use of a scribe. “But none of this works in college. Dyslexia is not something that just goes away — it is lifelong and support systems should extend throughout the education system. Allowing students to use computers to write, for instance, would help, as spelling is something many struggle with,” she said.
When a friend of Deepan,* a resident of T. Nagar with dyslexia, was helping him fill out his college application forms this year, she found that while all had a column for students with disabilities, learning disabilities was not among those listed.
“Of the five college applications I looked at, there was just one college that had it. I even went with Deepan to one of the government colleges to explain about his disability, but they were not aware about it at all, much less equipped with resources,” she said.
While they had had good experiences at select city colleges, much more could be done for colleges to embrace inclusivity, said L.V. Jayashree, director, The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, which supports students with learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism and intellectual impairments, among others. “Apart from physical access, colleges could have a mentor/counsellor to help guide students, or even have another student as a ‘shoulder buddy’ help in case of difficulties. Sometimes for students, especially those from special schools, going into college is a little overwhelming. Someone to guide them through roadblocks and ensure they are emotionally and socially included would be very useful,” she said.
“Colleges must identify the needs of dyslexic students and provide facilities such as those for remedial teaching. At the same time, parents too must ensure they help students choose courses they can excel in and that go along with their skills, and not force them into courses that are considered less risky,” said D. Chandrasekhar, president, Madras Dyslexia Association.
*Name changed
What is dyslexia?
*Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. It is a group of symptoms that brings about difficulties with specific language skills.
*It is a lifelong condition. It affects the person differently at different stages. It is not an obstacle for achieving success in his/ her chosen area of work.
* It is a hidden disability. A developmental disorder originating in childhood.
*It is a neurological condition and one that needs an educational prescription.
*It can vary from mild to moderate or severe. No two children would have similar difficulties.
*In any degree of severity, the children need support from teachers, resource room teachers and remedial teachers, along with classroom accommodations and examination provisions.
Source: Madras Dyslexia Association
