The MDA tackles dyslexia, and puts the pieces in order.
Dyslexia is a neurological condition, which according to some estimates, may affect as much as 10% of all children in India. Children have difficulty in acquiring language skills, even in environments where they do not lack comfort or stability. And unlike those who suffer from more visible disabilities, dyslexics remain invisible to many who might care about their condition. Worse still, the inability to identify and address the problem often means that many a child's talents remain unfulfilled. The Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) is a non-profit service organization which takes a pragmatic approach to helping dyslexic children. Current educational opportunities do not adequately account for dyslexic children and their problems, and unless they are identified and helped, these children remain unable to cope with the system. MDA was formed with the objective of identifying such children and providing them the support needed to fulfill their potential. Without such support, children sometimes develop emotional and behavioural problems. From its beginnings in Madras in 1991, the MDA has grown to bring awareness to several districts in Tamilnadu, and now hosts learning centers at more than a dozen schools. A specific need is to train more teachers to cope with dyslexic students and their unique needs, and the MDA conducts training programmes twice a year to build up this force of capable teachers and administrators. For those whose needs are not easily met within the conventional school structure, the MDA founded ANANYA, a 25-student school dedicated to teaching dyslexic students. Dyslexia is so widespread that the MDA is considering moving to larger facilities to accommodate a growing demand for its services. The association has set numerous objectives for itself, each of these serving not only children with dyslexia, but the greater public good as well. Besides creating awareness of how widespread the condition is, the MDA simultaneously is broadening its remedial efforts. Recent efforts include sponsoring several potential teachers to training programs, and promoting schools to set up specific learning centers within their curricula for dyslexic students. The MDA is also encouraging the government to recognize the problem and provide similar services in state-run schools. An important focus has been in identifying dyslexic students and permitting them to learn through a process where the evaluation of their progress takes their condition into account, so that children do not feel diminished by their problems. Support groups and assistance programs for parents also help to create the proper environment for a dyslexic child, and complement the academic services. The MDA strives hard to ensure that access to its services are not denied to any child simply because the child's family cannot afford to pay for them. Tight management has also ensured that the costs of providing services are scrutinzed thoroughly and always perfectly justified. With these efforts, ANANYA is able to serve an individual dyslexic child for as little as $250 a year, and less than half that amount for part-time students. Public participation in funding and supporting the school is sought, and thanks to the benefits many parents have seen from the services, this has been forthcoming as well. Lakshmi Radhakrishnan
Summer 1999 The Madras Dyslexia Association can be contacted by writing to: Madras Dyslexia Assoxiation
11, Sambasivam Street
T. Nagar, Chennai 600017
tel: 011-91-44-8234908