Of all the pitfalls and shortcomings that the education system is so well-known (and criticized) for, the lack of necessary support, resources and provisions for neuro-divergent and disabled students is probably the one that is the least talked about.
The notion a lot of us have had since childhood when we think of a disabled person is more or less the same— a person in a wheelchair. But disabilities aren’t always visible to everyone around us. They can be intellectual, sensory or mental illnesses, and are considered disabilities regardless. However, there is very limited education and awareness about neurodivergence in the country, largely due to the stigma surrounding it.
As of a 2019 UN report, nearly 75% of India’s disabled students do not attend a school in their entire lives, reports Kadambari Agarwal for the Print. This also leads to lower chances of employment, little to no job prospects and high levels of poverty.
The major reason for this unfortunate statistic would be the lack of inclusivity in the education system. Numerous reports by researchers and teaching professionals working in the education sector over the past few years have found an inclusive style of teaching to be the most effective method, as it not only provides support to disadvantaged students, but also helps to identify the needs of these students and how to help them meet these needs in the classroom. Comprehensive teacher and faculty training programs, a child-friendly curriculum, and involvement of parents of disabled children in the classroom all come under the expansive umbrella of an inclusive education system.
The area in which India falters is when it comes to providing for neuro-divergent students, which is the collective term used to describe those with cognitive disabilities. A research paper written by Anuradha De and Nidhi Singhal of the University of Cambridge pinpoints this reason to factors such as less access to cost-effective teaching aids, lack of instructors trained in the field of special education, less awareness amongst mainstream teachers, and little to no support provided to children with intellectual disabilities.
To understand how deeply the Indian system of education affects neuro-divergent students, let’s take a look at a very popular, widely used policy: rewarding a student for the number of days they attend school, and penalizing them if this number is not very high. This policy may seem harmless but fails to take into account the lived realities of children suffering from ADHD, autism, OCD, and other learning disabilities who, because of their conditions simply cannot attend school everyday. Other norms such as forcing students to speak in class can be damaging for those who have speech disorders and anxiety.
So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that students with disabilities have suffered disproportionately as compared to their able-bodied peers in adapting to the online means of education.
Disabled student Snigdha Gupta who suffers from ADHD and clinical anxiety disorder writes for Youth Ki Awaaz, that adjusting to a new system of education has been particularly hard for her. For example, people with ADHD rely on “external systems” such as walking to class, talking to their classmates, and face-to-face interaction to get through the school day. Online school removes all of these systems and replaces them with distractions in the home environment, making it nearly impossible for students with ADHD to focus in class. Classes are also one-sided, and lack stimulation of the mind which seem lengthy to the ADHD mind.
Students with anxiety had a hard time controlling their “tics” and fidgety behavior when they were asked to keep their cameras on during online school, which may seem like a normal (albeit annoying) instruction to many. They feel self-conscious of their appearances, and can even have breakdowns due to this.
In order to have a truly diverse and inclusive system of education, we need to accommodate and make space for students with all backgrounds. Recaps of lesson plans are very beneficial for disabled students as they provide information in a quick, bite-size manner. Teachers must respect the choices of students if they do not wish to keep their cameras on, or speak in class. Discussion-oriented and application based methods of teaching must be implemented, with the usage of breakout rooms.
While the road to an inclusive classroom may seem like a long one, it is only by taking these small, yet necessary steps that we can form spaces where every student feels safe enough to learn.
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