Learning differences

parenting

Daniel Radcliffe, the popular wizard from Harry Potter series, has also become a hero of sorts. It has been widely reported in the media that due to dyspraxia, as a child, he had trouble with writing and tying his shoelaces. In an interview with The Telegraph, the star revealed that he became an actor partly because his dyspraxia meant he was not successful at school. He said his mother allowed him to audition for a BBC’s version of David Copperfield as a means of boosting his confidence. The rest as they say is history!

While we, as a nation, may have caught up very well with the global trends in the fields of fashion, food and social media, one aspect where Pakistan stays blissfully backward, is the concept of Special Education and Inclusive Education. As a mother of a child with Dyspraxia, I continue to fight a battle. It is exhausting not just due to the challenges and issues the condition itself poses, but more so due to the attitude of people and the way they deal with it.

Dyspraxia, also known as the Clumsy Child Syndrome, is not as well known as other learning and attention issues, such as dyslexia and ADHD. But it’s quite common and often co-occurs with those issues. It is a name given to a set of developmental delays such as poor hand-eye coordination, delayed speech, weak fine and gross motor skills, heightened sensitivity to smell, touch, taste and others. A child diagnosed with dyspraxia may display all of these, more or some of these problems. Other problems commonly seen in these kids are poor short term memory, Dysgraphia (poor writing skills), Dyscalculia (difficulty in Math) and difficulty in socialising and networking.

Fortunately for us, my daughter outgrew many of these issues, including delayed speech and reading, by the time she reached five years of age. However, to say that her schooling has been a huge issue for us is an understatement. I have personally come across very few schools that have a remedial department and accept such students. Another problem that arises is that even if the school accepts such a child, they have no clear plan of action for them. I wonder why our local schools feel that going to the next level in education means introducing Prom Nights and Bake sales only. What we, more importantly, need to emulate from the West is their attitude towards inclusive education. All over the world the term ‘Learning Differences’ is being recognised now; it is the understanding of the phenomenon that all kids may not have the same set of skills, abilities and strengths. Each person is unique and may need a totally different approach to learning. Inclusive education means integrating any child with a special need, be it a physical disability or a learning difficulty, into the mainstream schooling system. It works something like this: every school must have one or two kids in each class with a learning difficulty or disability. A Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) makes an Individual Learning Plan (IEP) for such a child. The school, parents and if applicable a shadow or resource teacher work in tandem towards the targets set in the plan. The IEP needs to be made for such students corresponding to their individual abilities or rather the lack of them. At the end of the year these students need to be judged against their respective targets. Otherwise the whole exercise is in vain, since the fact that these students were not at par with the rest of the class was clear from the onset of the academic year.

As a matter of fact, inclusive education has many benefits to offer; the first and foremost being that no child is deprived of their right to good education. It makes sure that any individual who has a disability or difficulty in academic learning is not left behind rather they are integrated into the society’s fabric in a constructive and evolved manner. Moreover, it hugely adds to the experience of the majority of regular pupils who learn the concept of diversity and integration through this inclusion. In the mad race to earn the highest of grades, we have somehow forgotten to teach our kids the most valuable lessons of empathy and acceptance. In times where bullying, racism and stereotyping have become everyday school issues, teaching these lessons has become more imperative than ever and it must be inculcated into the academic curriculum too. This will pave the way for grooming more empathetic, more accepting and broader minded individuals.

It may not be an exaggeration to say that there is virtually complete ignorance in Pakistan, where this entire issue is concerned. So much so, that a comment by one of my own family members left me shocked. It so happened that one fine day, I was discussing my woes about schools needing to take up an inclusive approach with a relative. “But why should they cater to a child who has a problem?” she asked genuinely confused. “Same reason that we support the campaign for ramps at public malls and eateries,” I smiled sadly and replied, “Otherwise one should question why someone who cannot walk on their own two feet should visit the same restaurant or shop where everyone else is going, after all they are differently-abled?” This struck a chord with her and she was able to relate to the fact that a non tangible disability such as a learning problem is also as much of a hindrance as any physical issue.

Over the years as the mother of a child with learning differences, I have faced multiple reactions and reservations from people around me as well; the society in general and the fellow mothers in specific. There were those who refused to accept that there is any issue and implied that I was probably just making up all the problems. Perhaps taking my kids to occupational and speech therapies for attention... When asked what the problem was, I would try to explain that writing, for example, is a problem, only to be told I was blowing things out of proportion and that they know so and so kids who had pathetic handwriting before the mother made him practice to perfection.

Mothers like me are fortunate as our kids do not face any physical disability by the grace of God, but we suffer greatly because no one understands our battle. After realising something was amiss with my kid, I wanted a professional evaluation to narrow down the problem. This was criticised by most people including some professionals who were giving us remedial help. “Why do you want to label your child?” many questioned me and my husband, “What does it matter? Maybe it’s dyslexia, maybe it’s ADHD!” The intention behind all these suggestions was no doubt sincere and the reason for writing them is not to run down these people. These are the people who have helped my child progress inch by inch and I will be eternally grateful to them. The reason I recount these stories is to benefit those parents who will find themselves in similar situation and will be grappling to get hold of some sanity. I am still trying to find a way and by no means I am an authority on any such problem. But one suggestion I can give you is that there is nothing as right as the ‘mother’s instinct’. Always trust it and on the broader and bigger crossroads make choices based on your knowledge of your child and her challenges. No one knows him or her better than you.

As of now, we are still struggling, trying to find our way ahead, trying to get a good education and future for our children. Through this piece, I want to give a shout out to all leading education institutes to pay heed to this very crucial and relevant issue. To take inspiration, we can look at Dubai as a role model. Not known exactly for its outstanding academic offerings, they now have a plan to become an inclusive city by 2020. The government has introduced a new policy and guidelines that aim to enable greater access and better provisioning for students who experience special educational needs and disabilities in Dubai. The framework is going to apply to all education sectors across Dubai including early childhood services, special needs centres, as well as primary, secondary and higher education providers. It also empowers education providers, regulatory authorities and governing bodies in Dubai to closely monitor progress and compliance.

What we really need is a similar step change and paradigm shift in Pakistan. We need renewed efforts to uplift the overall education standard and a parallel path for students with any learning challenge, that makes sure they are not left behind in any way whatsoever in the schooling system or the overall society.