More on the child who is “special”

In his article titled “The “special” child” published on May 8, AK Ghosh succinctly outlined what a school or teacher ought to do for such a student. However, the child’s parents and family play a much bigger role because even when he goes to school, a small child spends most of the day with his mother. AK Ghosh has succinctly outlined what a school or teacher should do for a “special” student in “The Special Child” (8 May). However, the child’s parents and family play a much bigger role because even when he goes to school, a small child spends most of the day with his mother. For instance, delayed speech in children is typically the result of hearing loss, but parents of such children frequently believe that the child has a problem with the vocal chords. The magic age of five years may have passed by the time the child receives hearing aids, resulting in delayed or poor cognitive development. Newborn children must undergo a hearing test in the majority of developed nations. Children who are dyslexic and have trouble seeing often face the same issue: they struggle in school for months at a time until the real reason for their poor performance is found. It is regrettable that disability is stigmatized in our society, which uses disparaging terms to describe all kinds of disabilities. As a result, the parents of disabled children’s natural inclination is to remain in a state of perpetual denial, which delays the child’s eventual recovery. Additionally, the incidence of disability in children (due to lack of maternal nutrition and hygiene) is far higher in poorer sections, who are mostly ill-informed about the ways in which the effects of disability could be mitigated though they may be equally concerned about their child’s health and disability.

Even educated and affluent parents of ‘special’ children sometimes abandon them at special schools or hostels, and thus denying them the parental love and affection which would alleviate their suffering.
The year 1981 was designated as the International Year of Disabled Persons by the United Nations General Assembly, and the decade from 1983 to 1992 was designated as the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons. Member nations were encouraged to consider the challenges faced by disabled people, the ways in which opportunities for disabled people could be created, and the means by which disabled people could fully participate in community life and enjoy the same rights and benefits as other citizens. Another issue that was discussed related to how world governments could prevent disabilities by controlling viruses and other illnesses that lead to various kinds of disabilities.
Since 1992, the United Nations has designated December 3 as Disability Day—also known as the International Day of People with Disability—in an effort to raise awareness of disabled people’s rights, dignity, and well-being and to foster a better understanding of those impacted by disabilities. Disability Day encompasses all known disabilities, from autism to Down syndrome to multiple sclerosis, rather than just mental or physical disabilities. Our Parliament passed the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, in order to put into effect the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was approved by the General Assembly on December 13, 2006. The delay in implementation of a Convention which the Government had signed as far back as 2007 gives a clue about the lack of seriousness of our society vis-à-vis the rights of the disabled.
To improve the situation of disabled people, the government must take a proactive, multifaceted approach. Prenatal disability testing should be encouraged, and all newborns should be checked for disability, as in more developed nations. Then, qualified staff should be able to offer guidance to parents of “special” children in all District Hospitals’ Counseling Centres. The suffering of “special” people would undoubtedly be alleviated if disability was properly managed, prevented, and detected early.