The second global Tata Interactive Systems Learning Disability Forum 2007 held in Mumbai seeked to encourage, enable and empower all those who have to deal with learning disabilities on a day-to-day basis

If I can't learn the way you teach me
Teach me the way I can learn…

Vineet Shetty had a tough time in school. Reading, comprehension and solving mathematical problems did not come easy to him. He had to struggle hard to cope with the syllabus and keep up with the other students in the class. Bewildered and dejected Vineet suffered till he was evaluated for learning problems and diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD). Providence came in the form of special remedial educators and teachers who helped him emerge as a strong person. Today, Vineet is a film director making short and corporate films.

LD affects nearly 5-15 per cent of the school-going population and Vineet is just one of the many success stories of how timely detection and intervention through remedial education can help a life. As Vineet stood in front of the 270-strong audience at the Tata Interactive Learning Disability Forum (TLDF) 2007 and recounted his personal experience, he gave positive proof of overcoming his problem and becoming a confident person.

"Children with LD should be patient, positive and not be afraid of failure," he stated. Giving due credit to his special education teachers at the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association he added, "I always believe that nothing is impossible - you only need the right teachers."

Together we can
The forum was organised by Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global pioneer in e learning. In the last 17 years, they have created innovative, next-generation, custom workforce performance solutions for more than 350 blue-chip corporations, renowned educational institutions, and government bodies worldwide. TIS forayed into the area of LD, in 2001, with a view of helping society by using their core competency of e-learning. The beginning was made by extending financial support to the LD clinic at LTMG Hospital (previously known as Sion Hospital) in Mumbai.

The Sion Hospital had initiated work in the field of LD in 1996 and it is one of the few certified institutions of its kind dedicated to diagnosing and treating learning disabilities. When TIS learnt that the clinic was facing a financial crisis, it decided to help by providing funds for salaries, stationery and other basic necessities. The initial engagement has progressively become deeper and broader.

TIS collaborates with the clinic to simplify the day-to-day logistics and management and has developed a patient management software system. It also supports LD awareness workshops for schools, teachers and parents and donates innovative, remedial courseware. They have designed and created a fun-filled, visually-appealing book for LD students called Brain Teasers in collaboration with the LD clinic. The book is designed to bring out the innate creativity of LD learners and also contains valuable information for parents of children affected with LD.

Reaching out
TIS works in close collaboration with the Sion LD clinic to increase LD awareness, clarify misconceptions about LD and reach out to students and schools in Maharashtra. The company also partners with the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association and Nasen, UK, and works at multiple levels - financial, clinical, curricular, local and regional. One important milestone achieved is the introduction of a module on LD in the MBBS syllabus in the state. A dedicated team of volunteers from TIS is also helping to spread awareness at the school level with an LD awareness kit.

A major step is the initiation and organisation of the TIS Learning Disability Forum (TLDF) at a global level, which is in its second year now. A unique and one of its kind platform in the country, TLDF has helped bring together diverse people - heads of educational institutions, school teachers, medical students, special educators, doctors, paediatricians, child psychologists, and government officials, as well as volunteers from TIS - to generate ideas and discuss solutions on how to better help children with LD and change the way they learn.

TLDF 2007

The second TLDF 2007 was held in November in Mumbai. TIS chairman and Tata Industries MD Kishor Chaukar inaugurated the forum. Lauding the initiative, he said, "TLDF brings all the stakeholders together and attempts to bring a change in the mindset so that weaker students can live with dignity and respect." He also applauded the efforts of TIS's committed employees who have put their skills and energies behind this endeavour. "If a business has to exist, society must prosper and for society to prosper, business must contribute," he added.

The main objective of the TLDF is to encourage, enable and empower. This message was communicated clearly in a short film created by TIS, which was aired at the forum.

In his introductory speech at the TLDF this year, TIS centre head - Mumbai, JC Mistry, who has been spearheading this corporate sustainability activity at TIS said, "In the first year of the forum our goal was to create awareness (on LD) and we have succeeded beyond our expectations. We have partnered with many schools and plan to expand and reach out to many more schools in more geographies."

Elaborating on the success of the initiative this year TIS CEO Sanjaya Sharma said, "The number of schools participating in this programme has increased, as have the number of students who received LD certification." Till date about 737 students have received an LD certification and 225 schools have registered for the LD certification programme. "We hope to continue increasing these numbers and are also hoping that information about LD is introduced in the BEd course," added Mr Sharma.

Several experts in the field of LD from India and overseas gave valuable inputs on the varied aspects of LD at the forum. The topics ranged from the definition of LD, common misconceptions, solutions and remedies to help students with LD, managing emotional and psychological aspects of LD, etc. Participation in the form of questions from the audience after each session helped to air out grievances, highlighted some grey areas and gaps, and also brought out key issues that still need to be addressed.

People often mistake LD as a form of mental retardation or as characterised by borderline IQ. Dr Madhuri Kulkarni, the founder of the LD Clinic at LTMG Hospital and the dean, clarified that this was not the case. Learning disability is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant, unexpected, specific and persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia) or mathematical (dyscalculia) abilities despite conventional instruction, normal intelligence, proper motivation and adequate socio-cultural opportunity.

Dr Kulkarni emphasised the need for early diagnosis as this leads to early acceptance and intervention and helps children with learning disabilities adapt to the mainstream better. She also recommended a multi-disciplinary approach wherein the school plays a major role, especially at the referral and intervention stage. Assessment of LD in children is equally important as is the team of experts who assist in this process including counsellors, school teachers, paediatricians, paediatric neurologists, ENT specialists, ophthalmologists, psychologists and special educators. The requirements according to her were: more trained remedial teachers and counsellors, who understand the issue; support from the government, and introduction of LD as a subject in the teachers training curriculum.

Dr Sunil Karande, associate professor of paediatrics at LTMG Hospital who has done extensive work in the area of LD in children and has been part of the LD clinic since the last nine years outlined the medical aspects of LD giving a brief historical outline of LD in the country and in Maharashtra.

Divisional secretary, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, Mumbai Division, Basanti Roy explained about the guidelines and provisions taken by the government for students of LD from class 1-12. These include granting extra time during examinations, exemption from some subjects like Math, Languages or Science, overlooking of spelling errors and if required a writer (during examinations) on behalf of the student.

In Maharashtra, several circulars have been sent to schools and sensitisation workshops for both principals and teachers have been conducted. The government has also introduced the component of LD in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Programme for creating more awareness. Ms Roy brought up the need to have more testing clinics since the LD clinic at Sion was overburdened, leading to the students getting their certificates very late. She also brought up the necessity to conduct tests for detection of LD in vernacular languages (now available primarily in English). Currently, SNDT University is the only institution that has initiated tests in other languages.

Some of the other speakers at the forum included:

• Lorraine Petersen, CEO of Nasen - a leading organisation in the UK aimed at promoting the education, training, and advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs - gave a presentation on multidisciplinary approaches to learning disabilities.
• Vijaya Vaithilingam, vice principal of Father Agnel School at Vashi spoke on how LD can be detected in classrooms.
  § Ms Savita principal of the Bombay Cambridge School gave a talk on the principles of inclusive education for learning disabilities.
• Dr Kersi Chavda, consultant child psychiatrist, Hinduja Hospital, spoke and enlightened the audience on the social and emotional aspects in the learning disabled.
• Special educator Rukhshana Sholapurwala of the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association, highlighted the role of a special educator. This, she said, includes undertaking individual assessment, preparing an individual education programme, working as a team with significant others like teachers, parents, along with monitoring the progress, giving praise and encouragement.
• Polly Bayrd, consultant LD Clinic, Minnesota, USA, spoke about research-based instruction in reading for mainstream and LD students.

Learnings were also shared by parents. Dr Meenakshi Rao spoke about her experience of what it was like to be a parent of a child with LD. She brought out some of the obstacles and struggles she faced in helping her daughter in her studies, in particular the lack of cooperation on the part of the school authorities. She stated that many schools often don't admit such students, or discriminate against them and refuse the provisions granted to them by the government; they also don't give the reference letter required for the child to get tested for LD. Her daughter was helped by remedial educators from the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association and is now in class 9 and doing well.

The forum ended on a positive note leaving the participants hopeful and inspired to enhance their efforts in creating a positive environment and enabling children of learning disabilities to lead a life of dignity and respect.

Uploaded in December 2007