It is shocking...and sad, too.

As someone who knows very little about serious learning disabilities and what the education system can and should do, I would like to ask you what other countries are doing? Are children with disabilities in mainstream schools in the U.S. and elsewhere? What does it take for a school to be equipped with the type of programme you mentioned?

I do know of an autistic child who was in the elementary school of a local public school district in Massachusetts, but was having so much trouble coping and was so unhappy, that his grand-mother (who he lived with), was contemplating putting him in a special school. 

On a somewhat related note, I read recently that a new study revealed that 1 in 150 kids in the US are autistic - the numbers sent the country into somewhat of a tizzy, and there seem to be a number of articles dedicated to the subject on the news sites.

What options to such children have currently? Are there associations or support groups for parents of autistic children in India? Can people get together to petition the educational curriculum development bodies to look into the matter of developing a program for autistic children? Or are there NGOs working in this space? 

Dear 'Guru,' Children with serious learning disabilities get a raw deal everywhere. It is ,as I said , slightly better in USA because they have good programmes in some schools and colleges, which if you can get into - a task, I am told, achieved with much difficulty - can take them up all the way to a job. The scene in India is dismal concerning autistic children - my son is one - . There are a few places that give them some kind of training in the pre-K level but when it comes to first grade or standard onwards there's practically nothing. Even if some school gives them admission all they can do is just allow them to sit around in class or wherever, I hear. It comes down to lack of funding, facilities, training, awareness etc. What little support we get comes from parents of other autistic children. Only they understand where the shoe pinches, primarily. Parents of autistic children are doing a remarkable job. So is Dr Pratibha Karanth. But the long term educational needs of these children are not being met along with most of their other needs.

I have heard of Dr. Pratibha Karanth's work with autistic children in Bangalore. Is there any organizational support for her work? 

As you said, I think awareness is key. With that will come funding and then facilities and training. Who will raise awareness and how? It certainly needs educators, specialists and parents to work together to tackle this neglected but important issue to improve opportunities for disabled children in India.

http://www.communicationdeall.org/

Shuchi - that link tells you something of her work. That's where my son is learning at present. 

Thanks! You might want to "share" the link as a resource (in the "Share" section) for parents/others looking for resources for disabled children in India.

In our teaching years we probably are dealing with children with learning disabilities of some sort or the other.Most of the times they go unnoticed,specially in smaller cities,where the awareness is lesser,along with denial among the parents,if a teacher happens to sound the warning signal.It is sad to see a child suffering either neglect,or ridicule,or name calling,by their peers,and at times insensitive teachers.A program for teachers identifying types of disabilities,a separate department equipped to deal with such children,and to make them feel an integral part if the class by highlighting their plus points,should,in my mind, be made mandatory,in every school.

varni, the problem here is funding and facilities - for each school to have a section with teachers to help such children and adequate facilities for counselling, interface with parents, special educationists networking, training for the teachers, a different multifaceted programme for such kids - in India where even normal education for 'normal kids' is becoming beyond the finanacial reach of the average citizen who will sink such exorbitant sums of money into such 'lost' causes...

I agree with all the practical funding issues you mention, but I agree with Varni that all teachers should be trained to some extent on how to deal with children with disabilities or at least know some basic principles of inclusive education, since several children go undetected (or are just labeled "children with behavioural problems"), as she rightly observed. Of course, this would help children with milder forms of learning disabilities, but it would be a step in the right direction, nonetheless.

Yes, all teachers need to be trained to spot those who have a learning disability - along with it they need training in how to handle such kids - sometimes the kids are genuinely distressed and the teachers think of it as " acting" - at other times it is acting and instead of firmness the kids get left alone - most teachers follow a one dimensional path of either perennial roughness or perennial softness or a middle path of leave well alone - but if teachers would reflect on their practice towards the "ordinary" children and "their own children" regarding most things they'd find out that the pattern of behaviour wouldn't need to vary much - the difference would be in the application aspect...

autismictbangalore@googlegroups.com is a listserv relating to a workshop on skills for autistic children, to be held in Bangalore this May (end- May 2007). The purpose is to explore computer-related occupations where such children may excel, such as computer programming. Other options are also being explored, including sound and video editing.

came across this site. For all those who would need to know more about what is being done in the country about the disabled. Please do go to link and see :

http://www.abilityfoundation.org/