The Constitution of India as per Article 21 (A) recognizes Right to Education as a Fundamental Right and provides that every child has a right to elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality. Hence, as an auxiliary organ of state, every School (Teacher) is duty-bound to welcome and respect all students and to support each child to succeed in an environment of high expectation as per their individual ability.
The guiding principle of NEP 2020 is that schools should admit and accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, learning, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This include specially abled and gifted children, street and working children, children from remote or nomadic populations, children from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and children from other marginalized areas or socially and economically disadvantaged groups (SEDGs).
In the realm of education, every child’s journey is unique, and it is the collective responsibility of every teacher to ensure that each student receives the support they need to aspire, dream and thrive. Through the National Educational Policy 2020 we embark on a journey to deepen our understanding of early identification practices, recognizing the pivotal role it play in fostering inclusive learning environments.
Early Identification
Early Identification refers to the process of recognizing any disability or developmental variations in early childhood years and to understand the need of early intervention. It is about recognizing difficulties and making prompt interventions to support children and their families so that issues are tackled before they become more serious problems.
Early Identification; who’s Responsibility?
Early identification is the responsibility of different stakeholders i.e. parents, teachers and other caregivers. While in the classroom, teacher is at the forefront and it is his/her professional responsibility to have the early identification of the students in the class and to devise teaching strategies accordingly. While planning and practicing the inclusive teaching and learning, teachers need to be in a constant identification of the students and to best tailor the teaching and meet the differences.
In early identification the teachers try to know about the students, about what the students already know and can do and about what they do not know and cannot do, about what interests them, about what learning styles work best for them. More the teacher spend time in observing and learning about the students’ backgrounds and experiences and the ways they learn, better they (Teacher) are able to plan high quality teaching.
How to have the early identification
Through the following measures teachers carry out the early identification and interventions process:
- Observation and Monitoring: Teachers spend significant time with students, which allow them to observe the behavior, academic performance, and social interactions regularly. By tracking students’ academic progress and comparing it to expected benchmarks, teachers identify those who are falling behind or excelling.
- Recognizing Developmental Milestones: To recognize when students meet or miss key academic milestones in reading, writing, and math. Teachers also observe students’ social interactions, emotional regulation, and adaptability to identify any typical behaviors.
- Utilizing Assessment Tools: While identifying, teachers use standardized screening tools and assessments to evaluate students’ academic abilities and identify potential learning disabilities.
- Collaboration with Specialists and Parents: When teachers identify potential issues, they refer students to specialists such as school psychologists, counselors, or special education professionals for further evaluation. With a team of professionals teachers develop and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) or other intervention strategies. Teachers also provide parents with regular updates on their child’s progress and any concerns that arise.
- Creating a Supportive Environment: Through early identification, teachers create an inclusive classroom environment that supports all students, including those with diverse needs hence encourage all students to participate in classroom activities.
Importance of Early Identification
Early identification allows for timely intervention and support, which can mitigate potential challenges or difficulties faced by student. Whether it’s recognizing learning disabilities or developmental delays early intervention significantly improves learning outcomes.
Identifying issues early enables students to receive appropriate interventions that can maximize their potential. This could mean tailored educational strategies, therapeutic interventions, or medical treatments that address specific needs early on, enhancing overall development.
By identifying risk factors or early signs of conditions, proactive steps can be taken to prevent further complications or mitigate the impact of potential issues. In educational settings, early identification of learning difficulties allows teachers to implement targeted interventions which lead to improved learning outcomes and increased engagement.
Early identification supports not only cognitive development but also social and emotional growth. Addressing challenges early can foster positive social interactions, self-confidence, and emotional well-being, laying a strong foundation for future success
Early identification can be cost-effective in the long run. By addressing issues early, the need for more intensive interventions or remedial measures later on may be reduced, thereby potentially lowering overall costs associated with support services.
Early identification encourages family engagement and support. Families can be involved in understanding and addressing their child’s needs, accessing resources, and participating in decision-making processes regarding interventions and support services.
The central themes of the inclusive education are presence, participation and the quality learning outcomes of all the children irrespective of their background. It is the process of early identification which helps a teacher to achieve the themes and be an agent of positive change.
Conclusion
Teachers play crucial role in identifying children at risk for developmental delay, special abilities and learning disabilities. This is critical for children to receive the right kind of support as early as possible so that future difficulties are mitigated as much as possible but teacher is not authorized to make any diagnosis of developmental delay or any disability. That is the job of authorized medical professionals.
(Author Senior Academic Officer at JKSCERT and can be mailed at [email protected])
