A Special Educator

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TSHERING EDEN
“At the end of the day, when I see a special child I have worked with being able to walk normally even if it is just a few metres, make sense when he or she talks, or just be able to go through one day like everyone else, it makes it all worthwhile,” shares SWETA RAI, a special educator working at a reputed inclusive school in Bangalore. Sweta, who hails from Sikkim, has been working in the education sector for the past five years or so.
Following her graduation from St Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, she went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Loyola College of Education at Namchi. She then moved to Bangalore where she first worked in the mainstream education sector as a teacher for ‘regular’ children. It was during this time that she came across special children since the school she was teaching at was an inclusive school. An inclusive school is one that allows children with special needs an opportunity to interact with a community of teachers and able-bodied students in a normal school environment. It is different from a “mainstream” education because there is no differentiation between general education and special education.
A lot of people might recall Aamir Khan’s “Taare Zameen Par” where the child protagonist suffered from dyslexia, a disorder which occurs when there is a problem in areas of the brain that help interpret language. However, there are numerous other disorders like Autism, ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder], Dyspraxia, Asperger’s Syndrome, Learning Disability [LD] and others that children suffer from but are often ignored or mistaken for a behavioural issue. Such children need special attention and education strategies also need to be accordingly wired to suit these children. This is where special educators figure in. Educators or teachers trained to handle and teach special children. Although the concept has caught on in urban India, most schools that provide special education or even inclusive education are concentrated in the urban centres and there is still a huge lacunae in the rural areas. In this context, Sikkim lags far behind.
The dearth of special educators is nation-wide and not many venture into this field. Teaching as a profession ranks quite high in popularity in Sikkim and unlike the metros, is still seen by many here as a viable career. However, there are very few like Sweta who have made special education a serious career choice. If making a difference in the individual lives of children with special needs where everyday offers a gratifying experience and a challenge to overcome seems to be your calling then ponder over and make that choice as Sweta tells us all...

NOW: How did you get into this line of work?
Sweta: Well, I was teaching at this inclusive school here which had some special children as well. There were these Tibetan twins with ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] in my class who were uncontrollable. They were hyperactive and would get violent with other children in the class. It was very difficult to handle them. There was a special educator in the school and I got to know of this course that the Spastics Society of Karnataka offered. During the one-year course at the Society where I was trained and volunteered as well I got hands-on experience of working with children with special needs, some of whom suffered extreme disorders. After completing the course I then joined the school that I am currently working with as a Special Educator.

What is the work all about? A typical day on the job.
A special educator’s job is not just about academic teaching but about enabling a child with valuable life skills. There are some kids who cannot even tie their shoe laces so we have to find a way to teach such skills, that may seem ordinary to normal people, but can be mind boggling for such children. I don’t take regular classes but for particular children who need help I take 45 mins to 2 hour classes in the afternoon session, depending upon the intensity of the child’s disorder. Say when a new child joins the school, I first observe the child’s behaviour and make an informal assessment of the child. Then we talk to the parents and if there is a need ask them to go for a formal assessment which means taking the child to a psychologist. Depending upon the result of this formal assessment I discuss it with the parents and other staff of the school to chalk out a plan. If the child is in class 2 but his/her learning and other skills are that of a class 1 child then my job is to get this child on track and bring him/her upto the required level. I also advise parents on how to handle their child at home. We also make IEPs or Individualised Education Plan for such children and chart out the requirements of each individual child.
Like, there was this 4 and a half year old child with Down’s Syndrome who could not walk on his own and could not talk properly but by the end of the year he could walk on his own and I also taught him sign language so he could communicate. At the moment I am working with this child with cerebral palsy whose one half of the body is affected which means he cannot walk, talk or write normally. Including him in activities with other normal children is important so in the football team he has been kept as the goalkeeper which does not require him to run around.

Job satisfaction?
Oh it is extremely satisfying! I enjoy my work and look forward to going to school everyday. When you see the progress in a child it makes all the hardwork worthwhile so, I would say it is a very satisfying job.

What are the challenges of working in this line?
It takes time to adjust in the beginning, as it also takes time for the child to get used to you and develop that trust. Convincing the parents of a child with disorders is another challenge. Very often it is difficult to convince parents that their child is suffering from a disorder. Working with special children can also be unpredictable at times because sometimes you might see rapid progress in a child and the next moment the child would have gone back to behaving like he/she used to so you have to be patient and take it up as a challenge.

What are the best and worst parts of the job?
This job keeps me on my toes most of the time, not just physically but also mentally. You have to be creative in handling these kids and devise new and different methods of dealing with different disorders and children. There is no fear of stagnancy as you have to keep coming up with new ideas, which also means you have to keep yourself updated and undertake research on the different disorders. Also as you have to physically handle these kids fitness is important, so it keeps me fit as well!
On the not-so-positive side, I would say is that you have to be ready to take work home as well. Your patience is tested to the limits as well in this line. There was this kid that I was working with who had an attention span of 3 seconds! You have to be really patient and focussed in dealing with such cases.

What is the pay package like?
For starters one can expect maybe somewhere around Rs 15,000 but it all depends on your experience and the kind of school. In a reputed school you could get Rs 20-25 thousand plus.

Do you have plans of coming back and working in Sikkim? 
Yes, I do hope to come home after some years and start something there...maybe collaborate with someone who is also interested, let’s see. Right now I feel I need to gain more experience here.

Your views on special education in Sikkim.
Awareness on special education is one important thing that Sikkim needs I think. My mother is also a teacher working in Sikkim and she calls me up at times to ask for advice on how to handle such kids. I think teachers there also need awareness. The schooling there is all auditory based that is the teacher talks and the children listen and no other learning skills are taken into consideration. If a child has problems interpreting what he hears then the teaching fails. There are various other modes of teaching and learning. Howard Gardner has this theory of multiple intelligence. If a child who takes more time to master simple multiplication may best learn to multiply through a different approach, may excel in a field outside of mathematics, or may even be looking at and understanding the multiplication process at a fundamentally deeper level, or perhaps as an entirely different process.

Your honest advice to those who want to work in this line?
Lots and lots and lots of patience!

OPTIONS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Aspirants can pursue any of the various specialised courses that are available at all three levels - bachelors, masters as well as diploma. Before enrolling for any of the courses a candidate must ensure that the institute where he/ she is pursuing the course is approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Professionals who have been trained at institutes not approved by the RCI are not eligible for employment or practice.  

BEd/ MEd/ Diploma in Education (Special Education) - Visual Impairment/ Hearing Impairment/ Mental Retardation

Diploma in Education - Special Education (Deaf/blind)

BSc (Special Education and Rehabilitation)

PG Diploma in Early Intervention

Master/ bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics

Diploma in Prosthetic and Orthotics

BEd (Special Education) - Locomotor and Neurological Disorder

PG Diploma in Developmental Therapy (Cerebral Palsy and Neurological Disabilities)

Where to study

• National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad
• Shishu Sarothi, Centre for Rehabilitation and Training for Multiple Disability, Guwahati
• Action for Ability Development and Inclusion (AADI), Formerly The Spastics Society of Northern India, New Delhi
• Training College for Teachers of the Deaf and Blind, Ahmedabad
• All India Institute for Speech and Hearing, Mysore
• All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mumbai
• National Association for the Blind, Mumbai

What is special education?

Special Education is that component of education which employs special instructional methodology (Remedial Instruction), instructional materials, learning-teaching aids and equipment to meet educational needs of children with specific learning disabilities. Remedial instruction or Remediation aims at improving a skill or ability in a student. Techniques for remedial instruction may include providing more practice or more explanation, repeating information, and devoting more time to working on the skill. For example, a student having a low reading level could be given remediation via one-on-one reading instruction, phonic instruction, or practice in reading aloud.

Qualification

Anyone with a Bachelors degree education who has an aptitude for teaching can join a course on Special Education. There are institutes which offer Bachelors and Masters Program in Special Education. There are many organizations which offer short term programs (2 weeks to 1 month) in Special Education. It is always advisable to join courses of atleast 1 year duration. There are very few institutions offering a 1 year program.

When does a child need special education?

Special education teachers work with children and youths who have a variety of disabilities. A small number of special education teachers work with students with mental retardation or autism, primarily teaching them life skills and basic literacy. However, the majority of special education teachers work with children with mild to moderate disabilities, using the general education curriculum, or modifying it, to meet the child's individual needs. Most special education teachers instruct students at the elementary, middle, and secondary school level, although some teachers work with infants and toddlers. Special educators provide programs for specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, visual impairments, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. Students are classified under one of the categories, and special education teachers are prepared to work with specific groups. Early identification of a child with special needs is an important part of a special education teacher's job. Early intervention is essential in educating children with disabilities.

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