123456 Kolkata: The death by suicide of a 17-year-old student with dyslexia on Friday has brought into focus the need to identify the condition early and assist youngsters in dealing with it. They need to be taught and allowed to learn at a different pace instead of being asked to compete with the rest and frequently reprimanded, advised experts.
Psychotherapist Minu Budhia, founder of Caring Minds that works with children with disabilities, said the first step was acceptance by parents. "As parents, we don't accept it and pressure the child. The perfect example was the youngster portrayed in ‘Taare Zameen Par'," said Budhia, a mother to a child with disabilities. "While it is improper to put pressure on children with dyslexia, they should be put into an inclusive education programme."
Dyslexia was generally associated with difficulty in things, like pronunciation, especially in names, said psychological counsellor Soumya Mukherjee. "Learning, reading and other cognitive capabilities of such kids show slow progress. It is a learning disorder," she said, adding parents should focus on understanding the learning and adapting pattern of their children. "This disorder is mostly seen during school-going ages and hence, teachers should be wary. It is more of a clinical disorder rather than a psychological one. Treatment is usually holistic, detailed, prolonged and individual-specific. Most importantly, it includes emotional support, like rewards, and good clinical diagnosis," said Mukherjee.
South City International School principal Satabdi Bhattacharjee, said, "Every board has provisions for children with special needs. The school should educate parents about their learning challenges and parents, too, should increase their awareness. There has to be more empathy and inclusivity." That education boards allowed concessions to kids with dyslexia was a boon, said an educator for children with special needs. "Some people with dyslexia are extremely intelligent whose learning difficulty needs to be addressed," she said.
Some people with dyslexia had multiple conditions, which compounded the problem, said intensivist Sauren Panja. "They must be addressed as a whole. Schools and parents are now working together to address it," he said.
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