Dehradun: On 25th September, Physiotherapist Mr Tenzin Jigmey la and head of the foster parent Mrs. Yeshi Choedon la of Ngoenga School attended a conference “Dialogue on Learning Disabilities”. ‘Dyslexia Society of Uttarakhand ’ was the organizer of the conference and has invited many representatives from various institutions and NGOs in the Dehradun area. Speakers and participants highlighted how to identify, screen, and assess children with learning disabilities at an early age, and also the challenges faced by the schools and parents.
Learning style is unique to each individual and it differs from student to student. Some students learn quickly when information is perceived orally, while some students require information visually. Some students require a calm atmosphere to learn, while others apprehend information quickly in a much different environment. So, each student has a specific learning habit and ability. However, some students cannot learn efficiently due to specific breakdowns in the learning process involving listening, thinking, perceiving, memory and expression. Such difficulties are known as Specific Learning Disabilities. But these conditions are not visible from the outside. As a result, students suffering from these conditions are termed lazy, irresponsive, etc., and are subjected to a lot of harassment in schools. They soon become susceptible to rejection and as a result, drop out of school.
Without a proper diagnosis of a student’s inability to learn is a heavy price to be paid by society as a whole. These conferences affirm the need for special care need to be taken rather than just brushing it away with assumed excuses when a child faces difficulty in learning.
According to a survey, Uttarakhand is a state with one of the lowest clinical psychologists and special educators and other similar professionals in India. So, some prominent stakeholders of education were invited as guests on this dialogue and shared their experience on how to work together and improve this sector in near future. The conference proved to be a very good opportunity for the Headmaster and the head foster parent for networking with people of similar objectives and professions.
