CHENNAI: There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more,” said Robert M Hensel, a Spanish advocate for people with disabilities. Reiterating this and urging us to collectively work towards an inclusive space in two pertinent fields of dyslexia and hearing impairment was We are DisABLED, a public relations campaign by the Department of MA Media Management, MOP Vaishnav College for Women. The two-part discussion on Thursday, featuring Lakshmi Hariharan, psychologist, Madras Dyslexia Association, and Rebecca Isaac, managing trustee of Diya Trust, emphasised on identifying and removing barriers for the differently-abled so that everyone can perform to the best of their ability.
Decoding dyslexia
In the first part, Lakshmi from Madras Dyslexia Association, shared her perspective on coping with dyslexia and the social taboo associated with therapy. Breaking down the basics, she began, “A child with dyslexia has average or above-average intelligence. The primary areas of difficulty are reading, writing, spelling, comprehension, learning a language and mathematics. Kids may have difficulty telling right from left, poor handwriting, reversal of letters, numbers and words, short or long-term memory deficiency and slow learning. Limitations can be physical or cognitive.”
The neurological condition is lifelong. But, people with dyslexia, by virtue of their intelligence, learn to work their way around their difficulties. “In this condition, the way the brain is wired is different and, therefore, people with dyslexia perceive and process information differently. The disparity between performance level and ability arises because of this and it needs to be bridged by special educators. The condition can be identified as early as in the eighth month of infancy when a child begins to crawl. Early identification and intervention are crucial in prevention. Parents also need to keep track of developmental delays,” noted Hariharan.
Walking us through the causal factors, impairments and treatment measures, she explained, “Birth trauma is a common cause. It can also be hereditary and transferred through genes. The condition can result in visual, auditory, phonological and executive dysfunction. In case of visual impairment, there could be long or short-term visual memory problems. Difficulty with auditory processing like phonetic decoding and integration; lack of phonological awareness; and trouble with executive functioning like planning, prioritising, organising and impulse control. Comorbid conditions like hyper and hypoactivity are possible. Remedial teaching and a multi-sensory approach can help the children perform a lot better.”
Hariharan also pointed out the concessions given to children with dyslexia and the procedures followed by different boards of education. “Extra time, permitting use of calculators and scribes, and exemption of second language, are a few ways to facilitate the performance of these children in higher classes. People with dyslexia are unique, each having their strengths and weaknesses. It’s important that we nurture their talent for them to have a better future. So, do not hesitate to seek help for your child; do not go by the myths floating around,” she insisted. More information on various aspects of dyslexia is available on MDA’s official website.
All ears to their needs
Drawing our attention to another pressing problem was the second part of the series by Rebecca Isaac on the social inclusion of the hearing impaired. Having worked with special children for two decades, Isaac highlighted the psychological implications that stem from the inability to communicate with others. “The hearing-impaired tend to develop frustration, distrust and feel left out. People perceive their inability to communicate as inability to understand. To worsen things, there is no common sign language in India. Poor quality of hearing aids is another problem. People avoid communication with the hearing-impaired as they do not know how to strike a conversation.”
Elaborating on the importance of providing a conducive environment for people with hearing impairment to grow and improve, she said, “Gestures and lip movement help them to understand. Effective parent-child communication is crucial. These people learn to speak by imitating. Here’s where speech therapy plays a significant role. We need to communicate with them in the language they’re comfortable with. Stand close to them, face them so they can read your lips and use simple gestures to aid in communication.”
Comparing the Indian and global scenarios, Isaac pointed out the scope for improvement. “People living abroad are taught sign language, hearing aids are affordable and people with hearing impairment are integrated into normal schools with the assistance of an additional teacher. Here, it’s possible only if the attitude of family members and surroundings change to ensure two-way communication. We should try and learn from their perspective for a better understanding. The barriers can be removed only with the integrated effort of the government. We still have a long way to go,” she concluded. Drawing curtains on the informative session and setting a fine example for the differently-abled was an art exhibition by Suvedha — a differently-abled artist with speech and hearing impairment — in collaboration with Heartbeat Foundation.