Nidhi Ray Tharakal, a parent of two twin boys with autism, moved to India during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. “Most institutions were closed when we first moved here. Mainstream schools that claimed to be inclusive said that online education for children with autism wouldn’t work. The biggest schools in the city, which talk about inclusivity, do not have the faculty for children with special needs: they have no special educators,” she said.
As Autism Awareness Month is under way, special schools have reported a significant increase in the enrollment of children with autism in schools. With this, educators and parents alike are looking for innovative ways to ensure that these students receive the support they need to thrive in the classroom.
“There has been an increase of almost 50% in the enrolment rates post the pandemic,” said Bela Joshi, a managing trustee at Colours Centre for Learning. One of the reasons for this, according to Ms. Bela, was that due to being cooped up at home during the lockdown, a lot of children showed lesser progress in their learning and behavioural patterns.
Speaking about the number of schools in the city that cater to children on the spectrum, she said, “A lot of schools have shut down after the pandemic. There are more individual therapy and training centres than schools right now.”
Right kind of support
Most parents shy away from enrolling children in school because of the social stigma that exists, she said. Urging parents and guardians to seek help at any point, Ms. Joshi said children with autism could be educated at any age. “There is no age limit for learning, these students can be taught even during their 20s with the right kind of support.”
Although a lot of schools that provide mainstream education are becoming more inclusive lately for children with disabilities, it is necessary to understand that not all of them are equipped to teach students on the spectrum, experts point out.
Santhi Karamcheti, one of the founding trustees and special educator at Eka Educational and Charitable Trust said, “Schools need to understand the specific needs of these children. Holistic education or training does not work for all,” she said.
Children in mainstream schools need to be taught more about inclusivity and diversity, she added. “Mainstream schools need to collaborate with professionals and conduct sessions where children are taught to be more sensitive towards children with disabilities,” she said.
“India has improved in early intervention services in recent years, but we still have a long way to go. There are limited services available for older children and adults on the spectrum,” said Dr. Vanita Rao from Sunshine Autism Trust.
Special education
However, Ms. Tharakal pointed out that special education comes at a special cost. “It is very expensive. The tuition fee is already so high. They need to also pay for any additional therapy the children need, which becomes very difficult for a salaried person,” she said. Post the pandemic, she said that there had been a massive rise in the fee structure of many schools.
“The government needs to pay more attention. There is a lot of leverage given to people with disability on paper but it is hardly applied,” she said.
