Specific Learning Disabilities in India: Current Situation and the Path Ahead

Students with specific learning disabilities (SpLD) need timely remedial education and provisions to continue their education within the mainstream. The Government of India has enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, and legitimized SpLD as a disability, nationally. This Act mandates screening of every school student for SpLD on completion of eight years of age, setting up of resource rooms for imparting remedial education in all schools, and provisions in examinations for all afflicted students. This Act authorizes that students with SpLD get benefit of reservations in higher education seats and government jobs. To ensure that this Act is implemented effectively, all stakeholders in the field of education and health will have to collaborate to set up sufficient number of assessment clinics, create sufficient number of special educators, and develop validated screening and assessment tools for diagnosing SpLD in all the regional languages of our country.

Automated summary

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in India has recognized SpLD as a disability and mandates screening, provisions for remedial education, and reserved seats and job opportunities for students with SpLD. To effectively implement this act, collaboration among stakeholders in education and health is necessary to establish assessment clinics, train special educators, and develop validated screening and assessment tools in regional languages.