“Physically and intellectually challenged children people themselves acknowledge the hierarchy of sympathy and empathy,” –District Collector, Trichy.

Dt.Collector Ms.Jayashree Muralidharan,IAS interacts with differently abled

Mrs.Jayashree Muralidaharan, Trichy District Collector visited a middle school in Manaparai and made an assessment of the  learning levels of the differently abled children mainstreamed in normal school under SSA Scheme of Inclusive Education of Trichirappalli District of Tamilnadu for the physically and intellectually  challenged children. Trichy District Collector opined, “Interventions are being developed to enhance children's attitudes toward differently abled peers and thereby facilitate mainstreaming in schools. This visit to the school is was useful to assess the impact of Feeling Free, activities, discussions, and books. The special educators of SEVAI those take care of IED in Manaparai had created increased knowledge about disabilities, more positive perceptions of disabled persons, and greater awareness of appropriate behavioral responses to physically and intellectually challenged  peers. There were no long-lasting treatment effects on two measures of children's acknowledged willingness to interact with their peers, although treatment girls demonstrated short-term gains on one measure. Suggestions are made by Mrs.Jayashree Muralidaharan for increasing program impact and providing services to other participants in the mainstreaming process.

“Physically and intellectually challenged children people themselves acknowledge the hierarchy of sympathy and empathy,” said Mrs.Jayashree Muralidaharan. Access to inclusive education can change the lives not only of those with disabilities but those who learn alongside them. “Access means at all levels from physical access to buildings to changing the relationships between teachers and students, changing the curriculum and means of evaluation and teaching methods. Those with intellectual disabilities can be taught life-skills adapted to their needs. “Society gains from inclusive education. Inclusion is about teaching children to live together and to accept each others differences. Children learn more from each other than they do from the teacher. Life is complicated, diverse and multifaceted and so should classrooms be,” she said. “There is economic justification too as it is less costly to establish and maintain schools that educate all children together. It makes children with a disability less dependent and therefore less in need of care,” Mrs.Jayashree Muralidaharan said.Govin