Rescuing childhood from jaws of dyslexia

CHANDIGARH: A child���s world can get too complicated when adults surrounding him don���t realize the need to understand him. At 11 years of age, Ajit was in a similar situation when he would fumble between a, b and d. He was an introvert since early childhood. His teachers would threaten to fail him in exams and quite often, he was insulted in front of his classmates.He had lost all his confidence.
No one understood that he was suffering from learning deficit - a problem called dyslexia.
Then, his principal informed his parents about the situation. They put him in a programme run by an institute - Optimizing Development in Education - now recognized under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 8. A few months ago, the World Cricket Academy recognized Ajit and now he plays for the Haryana under-19 team. He is also preparing for his class-XII board examination, staying alone in Sector 11, Panchkula.
Ajit said, ���This is a curable problem and all the child needs is proper guidance and encouragement.���
Class-V student Kunal would make excuses for not going to school and despite repetitive attempts he could not learn to tie his shoelaces.
His parents thought that he was being lazy. Only after they were informed of him having dyslexia-like symptoms by his teachers, did they approach ODE.
The couple shifted from Jalandhar to Chandigarh to ensure a proper education for their child. ���When we were unaware of his problem, we would compare him with his younger sister and scold him. However, now we regret that behaviour,��� says Kunal���s mother Saminder Kaur.
���Kunal is an excellent drum player. He has given a live performance in an old-age rehabilitation centre, which was organized by ODE,��� she said.
Juhi, 6, a class-I student of Little Flower Convent School, Panchkula, suffers from epilepsy, apart from having dyslexia. However, she is very enthusiastic about dance and never hesitates when asked to perform. She joined Orkids - The Multidisciplinary Clinic, a Panchkula-based learning centre in January when her school teachers stated that she had the problem.
Initially, she had trouble recognizing sounds or letters. However, in just a few months, she surprised everyone by getting 23 out of 25 in English in her terminal exams, says head of Orkids - Shaswati Chakroborty.
���Many children here are very good in sports and drawing. However, it is sad that many times, parents of these children want them to excel in studies and ignore their key abilities,��� she adds.
Vivek High School, as a part of the classroom teaching, runs an inclusive programme for dyslexics. Such students are given concessions including extra time while writing exams and while checking their copies, teachers are instructed to ignore spelling mistakes.
School���s principal Daman Duggal says, ���When our teachers notice dyslexia-like symptoms, we recommend that parents get their child checked up at PGI and once it is certified, we take special care of those students.���