Teachers of Amrita Vidyalayam attended a workshop on “Scholastic Backwardness Awareness” on April 20, 2017 at school. The workshop was conducted by Occupational Therapist, Dr. Pankaj Popli and Mrs. Akshata Popli, Remedial Educator, who have been practicing in the field of child development and adult rehabilitation since 2006. They provide occupational therapy services and work with children who have difficulty in learning. They were ably supported by our Counsellor Mrs. Vrinda Nargundkar.
The interactive workshop was divided into 2 sessions. The first session was conducted by Dr. Pankaj Popli. With the help of PPT slides, he gave insight into the difficulties faced by students with learning disability that should be observed carefully by parents as well as teachers. This would help in assessing the child in the various parameters such as ADHD, slow learning, dyslexia, difficult memory, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, autism, etc. The IQ assessment tests, LD assessment and ADHD rating scale help to identify specific challenges faced by a child so that remedial measures may be started at an early age.
In the second session, Dr. Akshata Popli explained how children facing certain challenges could be helped. Teachers talked about situations faced by them every day in the classroom, and asked how they could contribute towards creating a supportive environment for students who may have difficulty with simple tasks such as holding a pen, packing their bags, bringing books according to the time table, writing, etc. With her experience over the years, Dr. Popli was able to recommend certain methods that teachers could adopt. Children with ADHD could be seated in the first row to avoid getting distracted, mathematical problems could be broken down into practical applications, scientific theories could be explained in the simplest manner, etc. These steps would build confidence in the children and help them to cope with the challenges.
Dr. Popli also said that apart from this, the contribution of parents is of utmost importance. The amount of patience and continuous interaction a parent has with their child will significantly aid in the growth of the child. Parents must not shy away or ignore any developmental challenges they notice in their children. Early detection is always a key to start the correct line of treatment.
Teachers expressed their concerns in a Q&A session, and were keen to find helpful solutions in order to help students. The workshop enabled them to get an insight into the world of the specially gifted children’s minds. The valuable lessons learnt by the teachers will no doubt help overcome some of the basic difficulties of students facing such challenges.
