India’s English Language Teaching Institute (ELTI) is planning to publish books that are designed keeping in mind the needs of kids with intellectual disabilities. These books aim to make learning English easier for such students in primary school.
The directions for rolling out special books were issued by the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT). Similar books are also in the works at the State Hindi Institute as well as the State Institute of Education, Varanasi. The team behind these innovative books includes visionary academicians and doctors involved in the fields of special education and intellectual disabilities as well as teachers working closely with special needs children.
Skand Shukla, principal of the ELTI explains, “A child with an IQ over 50 can be educated by using special methods. Autism, attention deficit disorder, and Down’s syndrome are some of the conditions related to intellectual disability,” He also told the National Herald that such children usually have limitations in two areas – the first is intellectual functioning and the second is adaptive behavior. “These children might also be diagnosed with other learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” he added.
The new books cater to the special needs of such children with colorful imagery and relatively big font size. The topics are also designed in a way that piques curiosity. They will also enable the teachers to document each child’s progress and devise individual education programs.
