Rakshit was 6 years old when he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyper Activity disorder. The disorder is largely attributed to Autistic spectrum disorder, but in schools it is usually dismissed as ‘special needs’.
Yet, regular schools are not always comfortable with accommodating the needs of autistic children. The regular, outrageous stereotype that an autistic child can’t get up and learn with children of greater calibre and understanding is a major roadblock. Schools for autism come as a refuge, but the denial amounts to a violation of a child’s right to education and demand a look-in into the matter. Shaking the matter off with disregard is tantamount to – suicide.
The recent amendments in right to education have churned out things in favour of the special children. The amendments suggest that special children receive education in mainstream schools with an equal footing with others. India has also signed the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in 2007. Yet, the measures taken to support them are abysmal. Bending the laws and amendments formulated and conceptualized to the needs of autistic children leads to the violation of human rights, which is perturbing, to say the least.
Not many schools are comfortable with accommodating the need of autistic children. Special schools, in such a case, come across as a refuge.