Tool to spot differently abled children

Social Justice, Education and Health depts. planning to devise mechanism

Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) in Taare Zameen Par is lucky to get a teacher like Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan) to discover that he is dyslexic. But, many children with learning disabilities in real life may not be that much fortunate. The departments of Social Justice, Education and Health are now planning to devise a mechanism to spot them.

The change in approach has been brought about by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the rules for which were framed recently. Instead of the seven disabilities listed in the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, the new legislation has defined the rights of people with 21 kinds of disabilities, including learning disabilities.

No scientific method

A senior official at the Samagra Shiksha, Keralam, in Thiruvananthapuram told The Hindu that no scientific method is being used in the State to identify students with specific learning disabilities. There is a shortage of medical experts too. Now, a plan has been put in place to involve the departments of Health and Social Justice to prepare a tool for spotting children who require attention.

Ahead of this, a four-day training camp for assistant education officers (AEO), district education officers (DEO), headmasters and Samagra Shiksha resource persons is being held in Kozhikode now.

“Earlier, students were required to get a certificate from a psychologist and a psychiatrist that they have learning disability to seek additional time and get a scribe for writing SSLC examinations. After the enforcement of the Act, a certificate from a medical board has been made mandatory to get the certificate,” Roshan Bijlee, director, Composite Regional Centre for Persons with Disabilities, says.

The district-level medical board will include the district medical officer and district social welfare officer, apart from other medical specialists. The certificate thus issued becomes a valid document for future use.

An issue of concern

However, many children who may not be good in studies but may not necessarily have learning disabilities are found to be pushed by teachers to get the certificate.

“At the camp being held in Kozhikode, education officials and headmasters are being told about specific learning disabilities to help them screen students at the school level,” Dr. Bijlee points out.