Educational Provisions for Learning Disability in India: Know Them All!

Education is very important in defining the future of an individual and the society. Inclusive education in a diverse nation as India allows every child to be included in the process. Even the ones with learning disabilities (LDs). 

Learning disabilities are frequently silent and unknown. This poses an education and learning-gap, loss of social connectedness and emotional turmoil.

It can be seen that there has been growth of awareness and understanding of learning disabilities. This shifts the attention to cater the needs of such children by educational provisions has also grown. 

This essay discusses the nature of these provisions, and forms of learning disabilities. You must read further to find the legal policy regime within India that guards and helps such children.

What are Educational Provisions for Learning Disability?

Educational resources in learning disabilities are the policies, practices, tools, and services that are tailored to assist the students with LDs. Through these materials, such students receive accessible and meaningful education. 

The focus of these provisions is to decrease the learning barriers to students with neurological or cognitive impairments.

Some of the main highlights of such provisions are:

• Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) to tailor learning to a particular need of a student.
• Educator-managed remedial instruction that was based on personnel techniques.
• The assistive technology (reading audiobooks, screen readers, as well as speech-to-text programs).
• Alternative assessments such as tests that need oral assessment or allot more time.
• Flexibility in the curriculum to cover the various learning paces and/or styles.
• Educating the educators and other school personnel in detection and accommodating students with LDs.

These arrangements are meant to provide a broad-based learning experience. That not just encourages academic prosperity, but also emotional and social growth.

Learning Disability and Its Types

Learning disability is a neurological dysfunction influencing the capability of the brain to take information, process it, and react to it. It is necessary to mention that LDs are never associated with intelligence.

Indeed, quite a number of children with LDs possess average intelligence. Or even higher whose levels of various academic works are weak.

Popular learning disabilities include:

• Dyslexia: This condition has an impact on reading, spelling and comprehension. Children might do letters in backwards order or even have difficulties with phonics.
• Dysgraphia: It affects writing and includes aspects such as spelling, hand writing, and written material organization.
• Dyscalculia: It makes one experience difficulty in the process of comprehending numbers, mathematical operations, and concepts.
• Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): Impairs the processing of sounds, which interferes with the listening and the comprehension of reading.
• Visual Processing Disorder: It has been concerned with oneself by challenges in understanding visual data like letters, symbols and maps.
• Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD): Motor skill, visual-spatial organization, and social interaction are impaired, even though these individuals have good verbal skills.
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): ADHD is not a learning disability, in itself. But it frequently accompanies LDs, and it causes problems with focusing, behavior, and completing tasks.

The prompt diagnosis and intervention play a critical role in ensuring that the children with these conditions can manage themselves. Especially, to deal with academic issues and excel in school.

Legal Framework & Educational Rights in India

India has developed a gradualist legal and political framework which facilitates inclusive education of the child with learning disability. Such a structure rests on constitutional rights, international commitments and national law.

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 21A: Ensures all children have the right to free and compulsory education which entitles all children aged 6 to 14.
• Art 15 and 29(2): It prohibits discrimination based on disability and supports the right of everyone to education.

Important Laws and Policy

• Right of Children for free and compulsory education Bill, 2009

RTE Bill, 2009 requires free and universal education among children between the ages of 6-14 years. It sees relevance in inclusive education and rights of the disabled children to pursue education in mainstream schools.

According to it, schools must accommodate the needs such as adapting the teaching method, and training of teachers.

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016

RPWD Act, 2016 broadens the definition of disability to include specific learning disabilities like dyslexia and dyscalculia. It ensures 5 % quotas to be reserved by institutions of higher learning to persons with benchmark disabilities.

It also requires all schools and universities to be inclusive, and there should be provisions on assisting technologies and trained staff.

• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

Foundational ideas of NEP 2020 is equity and inclusiveness in education. It encourages the early screening of learning disabilities and quasi-personal support systems.  

Training a teacher to deal with diverse learning needs and personalized learningthrough the application of technology is crucial. It also recommends a flexible curriculum and assessment to meet the needs of students.

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

SSA was started in the year 2001 to popularize elementary education. It Includes a specific interest in educating children with disabilities by means of home-instruction, resource rooms, and integrated classes. 

Read more about integrated education, and why it is necessary for kids with LDs.

The funding goes to the aids and appliances, inclusive training of the teachers, and community awareness.

• Inclusive Education of Disabled at secondary level (IEDSS)

IEDSS facilitates the continuation of education among the children with disabilities at secondary level. It further funds readers, scribes, transport, and assistive devices.

It also mirrors promoting the enrollment of children with disabilities to regular schools with supporting infrastructures.

• Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is a scheme integrated by SSA, RMSA and Teacher Education in one cascade. It has concentrated on the broad-based school education, pre-primary to Class XII.

Further focusing on advocating universal education, especially on children who have learning disabilities. It also allows financing the qualification of special educators and the design of inclusive teaching resources.

International Commitments

India is a party to the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It gives priority to the right of persons with disabilities to inclusion into education at all levels. 

Indian law is in line with these international promises, and the commitment among Indians to affordable and quality education holds.

Initiatives Taken and Educational Provisions for Learning Disability

To enhance access of children with learning disabilities (LDs) to mainstream education India has undertaken a number of important initiatives. A multi-layered policy to inclusive education has evolved in the country through legal legislation, national policies, and centrally sponsored schemes. 

These programs are based on education on rights, provision of infrastructure, curricular changes, as well as teacher-training capacity development.

The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009

The RTE Act also enacts universal education for every child between the age of 6 and 14 years. It makes inclusive education a fundamental principle. It:

• Demands that children with disabilities, including LDs, are taken to schools in a non-discriminatory manner.
• Fosters child friendly and child centered pedagogies.
• Focuses on the elimination of obstacles in the delivery of the curriculum to a child with diverse needs.
• Promotes instruction of inclusive methodologies among the teachers.

Right of children to free and compulsory education (RTE) Act, 2009

Right of children to free and compulsory education (RTE) Act, 2009 is a restatement with legal effect of Article 21A of the Constitution. It specifies duties on governments and schools:

• Requires that no child be excluded because of his or her disabilities in the mainstream schools.
• Provides the requirement of the creation of appropriate infrastructure and instructional materials to provide inclusive education.
• Enhances frequent evaluation and personalized help of children who are falling behind because of their learning difficulties.

The Rights of Person with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016

The RPWD Act is an act that widened the list considerably to add specific learning disabilities to the list of recognized disabilities. Among the main articles, it is possible to distinguish:

• Specific learning disabilities (LDs) as constituted by the term dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.
• Inclusive Education was also made mandatory at every level-elementary to higher level.
• Necessity of special representatives to assist children with LDs.
• Allocation of 5 percent seats in aided and government higher education institutions to students with benchmark disabilities.
• Provision of aids, appliances and support facilities in learning institutions.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

The NEP 2020 is bringing in the era of flexibility and personalization as well as inclusivity of Indian education. It offers the children with LDs:

• Early screening and early support.
• Employment of assessment instruments to determine distinctive learning requirements.
• The ability of curriculum to be flexible to suit different ways of learning.
• Focus on inclusive pedagogy of teacher training.
• Assistive technology and open educational resources for students with disabilities..
• Learning development of various formats and languages.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

Universal Elementary Education has been the goal of SSA that has existed since 2001. It has implemented the elements of children with special needs (CWSN) that consist of:

• School-based and home-Based educational services to children with LDs.
• Supplying of aids and appliances, therapeutic support and transport allowances.
• The resource teachers were trained to act with children having different disabilities, that included LDs.
• Community based sensitization to minimize stigma and invite the involvement of parents.

Inclusive Education of the Disabled in Secondary Stage (IEDSS)

IEDSS concentrates on the incorporation of physically challenged kids in the secondary level. In the case of students with learning difficulty, the scheme offers:

• Support service like additional finances on scribes, readers and transport.
• Hiring of special teachers at school.
• Opportunity to learn on aids and ICT tools customized to the needs of the students with LDs.
• Personalized teacher-or-student attitude, peer tutoring pattern.

Samagra Shiksha

Samagra Shiksha is an all-inclusive school education program. It encompasses the pre-primary to secondary stages, merging the goals of SSA, RMSA and Teacher Education. To LD students it provides:

• School-wide inclusive education.
• General teacher and administrator inclusive teaching training.
• Release of grants to cover easily available teaching-learning content and ICT based instruments.
• Empowerment of the Block Resource Centers and Cluster Resource Centers in favor of inclusive practices.

Accessible Facilities in Schools

In addition to legislative and educational measures, physical and technological accessibility is very important. So that we have effective learning of children with learning disabilities among other disabilities. 

Establishing a barrier-free school environment will enable the students to engage in the study activities in the classroom.

Ramp and Elevator Access

Schools must offer the physical access of all classrooms and common areas to be barrier-free. Ramps, handrails, and elevators are mainly essential to students with mobility-related disability. 

Although it is useful to students with related learning conditions that involve motor coordination (e.g., NVLD or dyspraxia). RPWD Act and Samagra Shiksha have given funding to retrofit schools to have these facilities.

Accessible Restrooms

Privacy, hygiene and dignity in the schools require the availability of gender-sensitive and disability-friendly toilets. Easy to use toilets are usually fitted with handrails, broader entrances, non-slipping surfaces, and have low fixtures.

The facility would make sure that students with learning disabilities like ADHD/ dyspraxic students can comfortably attend school without challenges.

Assistive Technologies

The use of technology in education as an intervention is quite revolutionary in the management of learning disabilities. Schools are advised to embrace:

• Children with dyslexia and dysgraphia are given text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text software.
• Speech calculator and number sense apps to help non readers who have dyscalculia.
• Digital flashcards, mind-mapping and interactive whiteboards to help visual learners.
• Noise canceling headphones and sound-field amplification systems on students with APD or attention deficiency.

Adapted Learning Materials

Schools ought to have a variety of customized material such as:

• Easy to read and big print books.
• Pictorial or graphic organizers.
• Audio books and video lessons.
• Accessibility electronic learning (e-learning) sites.
• Multilingual or easier language text to understand.

Such materials aid in closing the learning divide and render education inclusive and more accessible.

Classroom and Learning Accommodations

Learning disabled children may need special classroom or environmental interventions to make the curriculum accessible. Such concessions do not involve conferring unreasonable advantages but instead the accommodation of LDs students so they can play equally.

Some widespread classroom accommodations include:

• Additional time in the tests and assignments to eradicate anxiety and enhance performance.
• Other forms of assessments, which may include, oral examination, projects or visual presentation.
• Visual seating, so that students with ADHD or auditory processing challenges do not become a distraction.
• Condensed guidelines and illustrations to support the understanding and memory.
• Assistive technology like use of reading programs, calculators and typing.
• Less homework or modified assignments so no cognitive overload.
• Refreshing period between long periods in the classroom as a means of ensuring concentration and control of emotion.

These accommodations enable the student to remain engaged and discourage frustration to have a positive learning environment and experience.

Support Services

The success of teaching learning disabilities is dependent on the presence of structured support networks at the classroom and external levels. Such services are the cornerstone of inclusive education and help in wholesome growth of the students with LDs.

Special Educators and Trained Teachers

Special educators are individuals that are qualified to deal with children with disabilities such as learning disabilities. They offer differentiated learning, assist in the creation of IEPs and assist the general teachers to carry out accommodations.

Government school programs such as Samagra Shiksha and IEDSS allow schools to hire special educators on primary and secondary levels.

Individualized Education Programs (IEP)

An IEP is an individualized education plan that is designed among students with learning disabilities. It includes certain learning objectives, approaches, instructional styles, and assessment activities to the needs of the student.

Teachers, special educators, and parents, and in some cases students, jointly develop the IEP. It is a living document that is read and updated frequently to monitor and make the necessary changes.

Remedial and Educational Programs

Remedial programs provide intervening support to overcome targeted areas of insufficiency. Like phonics-based learning in case of dyslexic and practical modality of learning maths in case of dyscalculic.

The programs may be offered individually or in small groups. With these interventions, more and more educational software and mobile learning applications are being applied.

Emotional Support and Counseling

Some students with LDs experience emotional difficulties such as anxiety, low-esteem and withdrawal. Emotional support, the assistance in the development of coping mechanisms and social skills are also offered by in-school counselors.

Counseling is also used to settle behavioral problems which might be caused by frustration or academic failure.

Teacher Training

The teachers should be trained in specialized treatment to detect, provide and educate children suffering learning disorders. Inclusive education and learning disabilities now occupy larger and larger sections of pre-service and in-service modules on training.

Training will involve determining the early symptoms of LDs, accommodation of lesson plans, assistive technology and including special educators.

Parent Involvement

The role of parents is somewhat pivotal in the learning process of children having LDs. Schools ought to keep communication channels open between them and the parents, engage them in IEP and provide training or support groups.

The advocacy of the parents is essential in the provision of the right treatment and resources to their kids. 

Learn more about the role of parents in students’ life for deeper insights.

Teacher Training and Curriculum Adaptation

The key to successful inclusive education is empowerment of teachers. Curriculum flexibility, training, and support make sure that children with learning disabilities are not only versed in. But can also go ahead in the mainstream.

Special Education Training

The locations that provide specialized teacher training courses include Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). The topics taught during training are diagnosing LDs, teaching remedial methodology, diagnostic tool use, and cooperation with other professionals.

Educators are also prepared to realize the psychosocial consequences of LDs on students and create supportive conditions.

Universal Design Learning (UDL)

UDL is an instructional system that lies in the principle of making curriculum accessible to every learner initially. It emphasizes:

• Various modes of presentation (provision of information in various formats: text, voice, pictures).
• Various frames of action and expression (students are enabled to reveal learning through different means).
• There are several channels of interaction (engaging students using individual approaches).

UDL minimises the subsequent adaptation requirements through the preset inclusion of curriculum design.

Curriculum Flexibility

Students with LDs do not cope well with rigid curricula. The ability to be flexible in the delivery of the contents, time frames, and assessment are critical.

Concessions given by national boards such as CBSE and NIOS are:

• Choices of other subjects instead of mathematics or science.
• Employment of scribes and additional time in exams.
• Open option schools of choice language.

NEP 2020 supports competency-based education where students can study according to their convenience and pace.

Role of Online and Alternative Schools

Over the past years, online and alternative schools have come out as useful learning platforms to children with learning disabilities. The schools provide student-centred learning that tends to address the differentiated learning in a better way than the normal classroom setting.

Online programs can enable students to study at their own speed, and use different ways of accessing its content. These contents have been associated with Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles. 

Furthermore, online classes eliminate pressure and anxiety, especially among students with problems interacting with peers or a strict school schedule.

One good example is 21K School:

21K School is an online school in India with virtual, accessible, and inclusive K-12 learning. It provides freedom in timing of learning, and individual teaching. It is also notable that its curriculum is accepted worldwide. 

In case of children who have learning disabilities, 21K School offers a number of important benefits:

• Individual lesson plans that are designed according to learning needs.
• Learning materials in audio, video and printed copies.
• Small classes which enhance more teacher- student interaction.
• High-stress testing is replaced by continuous measuring and evaluation.
• Consolidation of assistive technology and learning enhancements devices.

For customized learning experience and eliminating physical and social boundaries, 21K School and similar organizations are an impressive leap forward. This is a great move towards inclusive learning in a digital era.

Concluding Thoughts

India has come up a long way to set a broad-based framework to enhance the education of children with learning disabilities. The country is developing an inclusive educational ecosystem through legislation. 

This is done by RTE and RPWD Acts to initiatives such as Samagra Shiksha and the NEP 2020. Although there have been these improvements, there are still hardships. 

A large number of children are still unidentified, teachers are poorly trained and rural schools tend to be under-resourced. Inclusive education is not just a grace but a right. 

As we assist every student in realizing their own potential, we are taking a step toward an inclusive educational future.

Education