It may seem long this article on Learning Disabilility. However, I would request that those of you who are on the article please read through. You never know whom this article could help. It’s a request. It is a huge problem in India. Many parents are unable to distinguish a disability when the child is small. The disability carries into adult hood without any support and tutoring. The statistics are huge.
Learning disability is a term that we sometimes use a little loosely not knowing how these disabilities can affect the individual who has them. Learning disability is a neurological disorder, or to better phrase it learning ‘disabilities are neurologically based processing problems.’ This disability can impede the progress of basic skills such are reading, writing, mathematics. However it can also go beyond thus disrupting the progress of life beyond academics. Organization skills, time management, short term long term memory, attention span all of these can be affected.
These disabilities can affect relationships, at home and at work place.
Learning disabilities such as reading, writing, and math are noticed sometimes easily when you are a child and during your school years. However, there are times when some individuals may understand the lacuna later in life and there are some who never receive an evaluation and will never understand why they are having issues in progressing in life, or issues in their relationships or with their friends.
People with learning disability look perfectly normal and are of average or above average intelligence. However you will notice that they are gaps between their potential and what they can actually achieve.
Learning disability is a lifelong challenge and cannot be cured. It needs early intervention and support from family friends and tutors.
Sunderji’s Global Academia along with Dr. Anjali DrMorris Foundation in collaboration with Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth have come up with a course to educate teachers who in turn can help the many needy people who have varying disabilities.
Firstly, it is important to know the types of learning disabilities. The much needed information on the course follows:
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Specific Learning Disability.
a. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
‘This is a condition that affects how sound travels unimpeded through the ear is processed or interpreted by the brain. Some individuals with APD do not recognize differences between sounds in words even when the sounds are loud and clear to be heard. They may not be able to tell where the sounds are coming from.’ According to the last consensus of 2011 in India about 7 percent of children age group 0-6 suffer from this disorder. 2018 report according to the government every 10 in 10,000 suffer from this disorder.
b. Dyscalculia
‘Over here the individual has an issue in understanding numbers and learning maths. There is poor comprehension of math symbols. They have challenges in memorizing numbers, telling time or having trouble counting.’ The incidence of dyslexia in primary school children in India has been reported to be 2-18%, of dysgraphia 14%, and of dyscalculia 5.5% (17-19).
c. Dysgraphia
‘This affects the writing abilities. There are problems such as inconsistent spacing, poor spatial planning on paper, poor spelling mistake, illegible handwriting, composing writing as well as thinking and writing at the same time.’
d. Dyslexia
‘A specific learning disability that affects reading and related language-based processing skills. The severity can differ in each individual but can affect reading fluency, decoding, reading comprehension, recall, writing, spelling, and sometimes speech and can exist along with other related disorders. Dyslexia is sometimes referred to as a Language-Based Learning Disability.’ The incidence of dyslexia in India is believed to be 15%. According to the Times of India, Jan 22, 2013, there are 228,994,454 students enrolled in recognized schools, which brings our count of dyslexic Indian children to nearly 35 million.
e. Language processing Disorder.
‘Language Processing Disorder (LPD) relates only to the processing of language. LPD can affect expressive language and/or receptive language.’
f. Non Verbal Learning Disabilities
‘Typically, an individual with NLD (or NVLD) has trouble interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language, and may have poor coordination.’
g. Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit
‘A disorder that affects the understanding of information that a person sees, or the ability to draw or copy. A characteristic seen in people with learning disabilities such as Dysgraphia or Non-verbal LD, it can result in missing subtle differences in shapes or printed letters, losing place frequently, struggles with cutting, holding pencil too tightly, or poor eye/hand coordination.’ As per 2011 consensus in India there are 7,862,921 children below 19 with disability; 1,410,158 with visual impairment and 1,594,249 with hearing impairment. 683,702 with speech disorder.1045,656 with movement disorder. 595,089 with intellectual disability. 678,441 with multiple disability. 1719845 with other disabilities.
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Related disorders
‘ADHD is a disorder that includes difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior and hyperactivity. Although ADHD is not considered a learning disability, research indicates that from 30-50 percent of children with ADHD also have a specific learning disability, and that the two conditions can interact to make learning extremely challenging. In India The percent of children 4-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD had previously increased, from7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011-12.
Dyspraxia
‘A disorder that is characterized by difficulty in muscle control, which causes problems with movement and coordination, language and speech, and can affect learning. Although not a learning disability, dyspraxia often exists along with dyslexia, dyscalculia or ADHD.’
Executive Functioning
‘An inefficiency in the cognitive management systems of the brain that affects a variety of neuropsychological processes such as planning, organization, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space. Although not a learning disability, different patterns of weakness in executive functioning are almost always seen in the learning profiles of individuals who have specific learning disabilities or ADHD.’
Memory
‘Three types of memory are important to learning. Working memory, short-term memory and long-term memory are used in the processing of both verbal and non-verbal information. If there are deficits in any or all of these types of memory, the ability to store and retrieve information required to carry out tasks can be impaired.’
The information on learning disabilities has been taken from Wikipedia Learning Disabilities Association of America. The statistics also have been taken from the net.
Intellectual disability such as children with Down Syndrome, Mental Retardation, Slow Learners is a major disorder prevailing, and parents need to take immediate recognition of this malady. To further the purpose of writing all of the above is great. We in Inida are lacking good teachers who can become good educators inorder to support children suffering from various learning disabilities.
As stated earlier Sunderji’s Global Academia has come up with a curriculum and it lies here in front of me as I write about this much needed tutoring.
The course has 4 modules..and one of them broken into 2 parts. This particular course will enable you to become a special educator and take remedial sessions for special kids.
The course has 4 modules..and one of them broken into 2 parts. This particular course will enable you to become a special educator and take remedial sessions for special kids.
The course starts with an INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. The tutoring here would help you identify who is a special child. Description of Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), Autism(ASD), and Intellectual Disability is a part of the first modul.
This particular module has a topic on INCLUSION which is being practiced in America predominantly. We in India have just begun to make provisions for Inclusion
INCLUSION means that children with Learning Disabilities are included in the main stream education…say may be 5 to a class. This would depend on the degree of the disability the child suffers from.
This particular module also incorporates a topic on ACCOMODATION. Utmost care is taken at every level to make the child comfortable and to support the child in being a part of the mainstream education. Various activities and therapies are used all along. The teachers are taught to be vigilant at all times.
BOARD PROVISIONS provide the child with extra time during exams, writers who write for them during exams, calculators can be used during a Math exam especially for kids in the 10th and 12th.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY focuses on the growth and development of the child. It teaches you methods of approaching the growth of the child.
Physical and Motor development, Cognitive Development, Social and Environmental Development, Language Development are topics of learning in this module.
The objectives of SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT as a module is ‘To articulate the importance of using the latest assessment and screening tools. To understand the differences between tests, assessments and evaluations. To administer and interpret the results of curriculum based measures.’
Assessment, Evaluation and Tests is a crucial part to the child’s growth.
REMEDIAL EDUCATION PART 1 AND PART 2 it teaches the teachers about remediation and IEP(Individual Education Plan) .
Each of these kids have difficulties and each individual has his her own plan drawn out. It is specific to the child’s disability and its severity.
Study skills to help children study such as note taking study sheets etc are taught.
The subject KWL is I know, I want to Know and What I learnt. It has strategies to study and to learn.
This particular module ie. REMEDIAL EDUCATION also teaches you to make reports and assessment. Many is the time when a child come with a formal assessment from the hospital or clinical psychologist. Certain tests are carried out to determine the issue the child has. The teachers are taught how to read the reports and then create an IP (Individual Plan)
DISABILITY SPECIFIC INTERVENTION is a part of remedial for SLD (Specific Learning Disability) and for ASD(Autism).
It is through therapies that intervention takes place. Example an Autistic child is NonVerbal. He is taught to express and communicate through pictures. He learns it early and carries it through adult hood.
The next module ANCILLIARY ISSUES RELATED TO DISABILITES focuses on ‘Understanding challenging Behavior and Sensory issues across multiple disabilities. To have a clear understanding of alternative therapies that exist along medical intervention. To be able to design relevant teaching aids according to the child’s needs.’
Autistic children have sensory issues. We also have vestibular which is for balance, prosperesceptive which is muscle tone.
We are aware of the muscles we use during an activity, however autistic children have an issue. They are either over sensitive or under sensitive.
ABA is applied behavior analysis is a method that aids you in controlling a child’s challenging behavior.
A variety of therapies are used here. Such as sound therapy, dance therapy, music therapy, animals are trained to work with autistic children.
The topic BMP Behaviour Modification Plan has been drawn out for children with behavior that is a challenge especially with autistic children.
An autistic child does not fit into a normal social norms that society demands. He needs to be corrected at a young age; if not he will carry that behavior all along. Example if he is used to hugging when little as he grows older he will hug any one. The other person does not understand this and it could create a problem
There is a shortage of special educators. Dr. Anjali Morris foundation works a lot on Specific learning Disability. Sunderji’s Global Academia and Dr. Anjali Morris Foundation got together and decided they had to develop a plan where people who require it can benefit out of it.
