Specially-abled children, facing challenges such as dyslexia or visual impairments, often require the assistance of a reader-writer during exams. This person helps them by reading the questions aloud or writing down their answers, ensuring a fair evaluation of their knowledge and abilities. The reader-writer serves as a bridge, enabling these students to demonstrate their true potential. However, arranging for a reader-writer can be difficult for many specially-abled children before exams.
A woman named Varsha took to X (formerly Twitter) to share how a mother was looking for a reader-writer for her specially-abled girl who studied in class 4. So, Varsha asked her daughter, who also studied in class 4, whether she would like to extend her help and fill in as a reader-writer for her.
Around 1.5 months ago I saw a msg in a group. A mom asking for help. Her specially abled daughter needed a Grade 4 kid as a reader writer for her final exam. On a whim, I asked my 4th grader daughter if she would like to be one (1/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
And the little girl obliged, even though her own school exams were going on.
And there began a spate of phone calls, looking up the exam calendar and after a night of rumination and assurances that ‘saying no won’t make you a bad person nor me unhappy or disappointed, but do this only if YOU want to’ my little girl decided to take this on (2/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
She went as a reader/writer last weekend and today, smack in the middle of her own school exams to help another little girl out.
Her only demand- Mom you please come for the exam too, I won’t go alone (3/n)— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
The exam centre was an hour away from their home so the little one had to wake up early, which she did entirely by herself without raising a fuss.
Which was a reasonable demand. The exam centre was an hour away and we left early in the morning. The same girl who hates waking up early got up without much fuss and didn’t complain one bit. (4/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
It was after she arrived at the exam centre that Varsha realise how difficult it is for people to find reader-writers. On top of that, the entire process of taking the assistance of a reader-writer is tiresome and involves a lot of paperwork.
There at the exam centre, which is also a school for specially abled I learnt how hard it is for people to find writers. While we speak of inclusive education the reality is far from this dream. (5/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
Kids with Learning disabilities struggle in normal schools, get bullied, lose their confidence and even face the wrath of their teachers. Like most parents say, for the sake of money, till grade 6-7 the school ‘tolerates us’ but later coerce us to join special schools (6/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
Parents need to run around in circles to get disability certificates, IQ assessments, opinion letters in order for kids to get extra writing time, writer reader help in exam, etc. (7/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
Kids with disabilities face a hard time getting accepted in our society in the first place. So it is important for parents to let their kids mix with them without any kind of judgement or hostility.
Most of these kids are shunned in their housing societies as they don’t follow rule based games, may talk a lot, or not talk much. Many crave for friends but have none. When the girl my daughter helped came over to meet, (8/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
The girl was extremely excited to Play games, chit chat, have a pizza and we ended up with a long play plus dinner date instead of the planned ‘chai pe mulakaat’ (9/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
So if you’re a parent and reading this, do consider helping a special kid as a writer/reader/unconditional friend.
Teach your neurotypical/normal kids to adjust a bit for them.
If your child is struggling at school do get them assessed before labelling them as lazy. (N/n)
— Varsha (@nvvarsha) February 22, 2024
This is parenting done right!