HOW DO THEY FEEL.........

PRAGYA SRIVASTAVA

Learning disability! It is not only a problem, but often brings a lot of stress among the children. Often I see that due to burden of studies their stress level raises to that level from which the life becomes a jail. This depends on the behavior of the society and parents. The discrimination with the child works as a pulley and this again helps increases the stress. Nobody can understand what the child feels better than the child only. That is why I and my madam Mrs. Ratna Pathak and Mrs. Sujata Gupta mam went to Pragya’s, a 12th class student suffering from a physical disability ‘Cerebral palsy’, to know about him and his feelings. Pragya is also a part of the Team, 'Its my Story'. With the help of my teachers I took his short interview. The interview is as follows:..

• Atul (me): from what disability you are suffering from?

• Pragya : I am suffering from cerebral.

• Atul : what do you feel after being suffering from this disability?

• Pragya : I really sometimes feel very bad as I have problem in interacting with others. My friends play in front of me, that time I really feels bad as I cannot play with them.

• Atul : What is the behaviour of other students toward you?

• Pragya : Sometimes they make me happy but mostly their behaviour toward me is so different, as I am disabled. I really feel bad when they use wrong language and abuse words for me.

• Atul : Is this disability affecting your studies?

• Pragya : Yes. Of course it affects my studies as I feel problem in writing during exams, but I have to manage for it.

• Atul : How do you feel when your friends play before you?

• Pragya : It feels really very bad. Everyone wants to play with their friends for a better interaction.

• Atul : What do you think you are good at other than academics?

• Pragya : I am interested in writing poems and I am also good in Urdu.

• A last question from you what do you want do for others like you?

• Pragya : Yes for other I want good medical facilities and education among them also. I also want to spread awareness among people.

THANK YOU

Mr.Deb with Master Pragya and other students of his school, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1 Jodhpur.

Categories of learning disabilities

While doing this project I concluded with some of the categories of learning disabilities which are as follows and are characterized by the note given along with them as I think.

1.God gifted learning disabilities:- Some children have a bad luck as they are born with less capability than that of the normal children. Few of them may cope with learning disabilities but most of them fail to do so.

2.Created by elders:- Children while growing come in contact with various situations. Sometimes parents or elders may scold by saying them “you are not capable of studies” which repeated many times in many different ways is able to demoralize a growing up mind and results in the child's totally distraction of mind from the field of studies and make him/her a learning disabled.

3.Created by his/her own self:- Children make themselves loose their capacity to be strong in scholastic area by concentrating on things which at present may not be necessary to think about.

Learning Disability in India.

The past decade declares a sudden erupt in the identification of learning disabilities in India. It was found that in India around 13-14 % of all school children suffer from learning disabilities but regrettably most school fails to provide a helping help to those victim students of LD and label them as failures. Samir Parikh, a child psychiatrist defines dyslexia not as a disease but a lifelong problem that creates challenges that needs to be overcome daily by the effected child. He is however optimistic that a child suffering from dyslexia can lead a successful life with hard work, proper education, family and teacher support.

Recently in the year 2008, Tata Interactive Learning Disability Forum (TDLF) held in Mumbai on 29^th November and in Kolkata in 2^nd December put to light the vital need to address LD issues. Spotlighting the theme of “Special Deeds for Special Needs”, the TDLF 2008 emphasized the significance of early restorative action to help learners with special needs. The CEO of Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) Sanjaya Sharma said,” Around 3-7% of the world population suffers from Learning Disorders, but it can be overcome if detected at an appropriate time. We have invited International LD experts to interact with city doctors, parents and teachers to make them more aware. Right now we are focusing on Mumbai and Kolkata, to spread awareness.”

The quote “education for all” remains disgruntled if educational opportunities are not extended to all school-going children including children with LD. If more attention is given to such children by extending a helping hand to institutions and schools that help children with LD will positively improve the scene. In some institutions, there are trained personnel who are able to evaluate the scope of damage and treat these children accordingly.