Updates


CBSE Accommodations for Disabled Children


The facilities extended by the Board to the disabled candidates (Dyslexic, Blind, Spastic and Candidate with Visual Impairment) are as under:
l. The persons with disabilities (Dyslexic, Blind, Spastic and Candidate with Visual Impairment) have the option of studying one compulsory language as against two. The language opted by them should be in consonance with the overall spirit of the Three Language Formula prescribed by the Board. Besides one language they can offer any four of the following subjects: Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Science, Another Language, Music, Painting, Home Science and Introductory Information Technology.

2.      From the 2002 Examination, alternate questions in lieu of questions requiring special skills based on visual inputs have been provided in Mathematics and Science for Sec. School Examination (Class X).

3.      Blind, Physically Handicapped and Dyslexic Students are permitted to use and amanuensis. The amanuensis must be a student of a class lower than the one for which the candidate is taking the examination.


4.      The visually handicapped students appearing from Delhi were provided Questions Papers with enlarged print for 2003 Examination;

     5.   Disabled candidates are allowed additional one hour (60minutes) for each paper      of external examination

6.      Board does not give relaxation in minimum marks prescribed by it.

7.      Exemption from Examination in the Third Language.

8.      The Board considers the Physiotherapic exercises as equivalent to Physical and Health   Education course of the Board.

9.      Centre Superintendents have been instructed to make arrangements for the conduct of the examination of such candidates on the Ground Floor as far as possible.

10.  Physically challenged children will specifically indicate their category and also state whether they have been provided with a Writer in the columns provided in the Main Answer Book.

       1l. Answer books of such candidates are evaluated by the Regional Officers at one Nodal Centre.

12. The Centre Superintendents have been requested to send the Answer books of such candidates in the separate envelope to the Regional Officer concerned.

13. Separate question papers in Science & Mathematics at Secondary (Class X) level have been provided for blind students w.e.f. 2003 Examinations.

14. Assistant Superintendents for the blinds are teachers from the schools where the blinds are studying. As far as possible, teachers of the same subject are not allowed to be appointed on the day of examination. One invigilator is from outside the school.
 
15. Assistant Superintendents supervising the physically challenged children who have been granted 60 minutes extra time are paid remuneration @ Rs. 50/-+ Rs. 20/

16. Amanuensis are paid Q Rs. 100 - per day/paper daily by the Centre Superintendent from the Centre charges amount.



Autism Myths and misconceptions

I.            Myth: The appearance of autism is relatively new.
a.      Truth: Autism is first described by scientist Leo kranner in 1943, but the earliest description of a child now known to have had autism was written in 1799. Ongoing research and improvements in diagnosis have identified that the characteristics of autism exist on a continuum with varying degrees of severity, intensity and frequency. 2014 CDC estimates suggest that 1 in 68 children in the united state have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

II.            Myth: Autism is a mental health disorder.
 a.      Truth: Autism is a neurological disorder. Students of the people with autism have           revealed abnormalities in brain structure and neurotransmitter levels. What is commonly overlooked is that individuals with developmental disabilities are twice as likely to have a co-occurring mental health disorder that also needs treatment or, at times, may render them in need of acute mental health stabilization, while also taking into consideration the developmental disabilities.

III.            Myth: All individuals with autism have mental disabilities.
a.      Truth: individuals on the autism spectrum are unique, with a wide range of intellectual abilities. Individuals with autism can be harder to test so IQ and ability can be under- or over-estimated, unless testing is done by an expert in IDD and autism. Test designed to include language and interpersonal analysis may misrepresent the intelligence of people with autism, who struggle with social skills. Many individuals on the autism spectrum have earned college and graduate degrees and work in variety of professionals. Conversely, it is some time mistakenly assumed with an individual with autism has a higher level of understanding then they do, based on their behavior, language skills or high-level of ability in a specific area.

IV.            Myth: Autism is caused by vaccines.
   a.      Truth: There is no evidence that childhood vaccination cause autism. A 1998 study linking autism with vaccines has since been retracted and numerous studies continue to confirm that there no direct evidence that links vaccines to the development of autism.

V.            Myth: Autism is caused by poor parenting or “refrigerator mothers.”
  a.      Truth: In the 1950’s there was an assumption that autism was caused by emotionally distant or cold parents. Though the exact cause of autism has not been determined, it is not firmly established that the development of autism has nothing to do with parenting style.

VI.            Myth: Autism is caused solely by environmental factors.
    a.      Truth: Genes have been identified as one of the causes of autism. Parents whose first child has autism are more likely than the general population to have a second child with autism. Identical twin studies have shown that if one twin has autism, the other has a 90 percent change of having autism as well. However, environmental factors can contribute to symptom severity for some individuals.

VII.            Myth: Individuals with autism are violence.
     a.      Truth: Through there have been recent news stories related autism to violence, aggressive acts from autism individuals usually arise from sensory overload or emotional distress, and it is usually for individuals with autism to act violently out of malice or pose any danger to society. Many individuals actually prefer to limit their exposure and interactions with other people because social situations can feel confusion and anxiety-provoking.


VIII.            Myth: All Individuals with autism have savant abilities.
      a.      Truth: While there is a higher prevalence of savant abilities among those with autism, only about 10 percent of individuals with autism exhibit savant abilities. Some individuals with autism have what are called “splinter skills,” meaning skills in one or two areas that are above their overall performance abilities.

IX.            Myth: Individuals with autism do not feel love. Individuals with autism are unable or         .  .                   unwilling to form meaningful social relationships.
     a.      Truth: Through many individuals with autism have difficult with social interaction, they can have close social relationship, fall in love and even raise children. Some people may express their love feelings in less obvious ways, but it does not mean they are incapable of experiencing or expressing love.

X.            Myth: People with autism are cold and lack empathetic feelings.
  a.      Truth: Individuals with autism feel as much, if not more, empathy as others, but they may express it in ways that are harder to recognize. Some individuals with autism may seem “cold or uncaring” if they are very anxious or if they are expected to show care or empathy in a more “typical “way.

XI.            Myth: People with autism can’t stand to be touched.
    a.      Truth: This can be true for some people who have high sensory sensitivities but many         individuals with autism enjoy hugs, light massage, and other form of touch.

XII.            Myth: People with autism have no sensory humor.
   a.      Truth: This may be true for some peoples with autism, but it is more likely that the individual expresses or shares humor in unique or less obvious ways. Many parents report that their family member may tease, tell jokes, or mimic comedy actions or comedy lines appropriately, anticipating others will be entertained.

XIII.            Myth: Autism may be cured.
      a.    Truth: There is currently no cure for autism spectrum disorders. However, early and intensive behavioral treatment can, in many cases, reduce the severity of symptoms and help individuals develop adaptive skills for daily living, emotion and behavior regulation, and social engagement.

 

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SENSORY DISCRIMINATION DISORDER



we will finish our year’s column on Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) with the sixth subtype, Sensory Discrimination Disorder (SDD). First, a quick

reminder: children do not fall neatly into only one of the six subtypes of Sensory Processing Disorder; most of the time children have multiple symptoms and fit into more than one subtype of SPD.

Sensory Discrimination Disorder is the last and most difficult category to describe in 1,200 words! It is really eight separate subtypes if you consider that SDD can occur in any combination of sensory domains: visual, auditory, proprioceptive, vestibular, tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), and/ or interoceptive (sensations from internal organs such as the stomach).

Discrimination is the ability to interpret information. It allows you to compare various details, disregard-ing irrelevant information. A disorder of discrimination means that you have difficulty interpreting information (i.e., differentiating stimuli in the affected sensory systems). For example

Auditory: Did she say cat, cap, or pack?

Tactile: Is that a quarter or a nickel in my pocket?
Visual: Where is the key that looks like this?
Proprioceptive: How hard should I push this forward to move it, but not break the glass?

Vestibular: Which way am I turning?

This discussion highlights how discrimination challenges in each sensory domain might affect a child.


Tactile Domain

Children with tactile discrimination dif-ficulties typically have difficulty deter-mining what they touch “by feel”; they must see it (stereognosis). We use stere-ognosis many times a day. We just don’t think about it because it comes to us automatically. For example:

        buttoning a shirt or pants while holding cell phone to ear

        touching something got out of microwave to know if it’s the right temperature

Proprioceptive Domain

How do we choose “just the right amount” of tension or force required to interact with an object (e.g., how hard to lift to carry box up the stairs)? It is our proprioceptors that give us the informa-tion about how hard our muscles have to contract to accomplish the box-lifting task. If a child demonstrates difficulty in this area, he may show some of the fol-lowing problems:

      roughhousing to the point of someone getting hurt

      judging how much force to use when throwing a ball

      using gentle touch to pet an animal

Vestibular Domain

“The vestibular system helps determine where our head is in space, relative to gravity. If a child has difficulty with vestibular discrimination, he may not feel when he is starting to fall and will not be able to catch himself before he gets hurt” (Bialer and Miller 2011, 160). For example:

      poor awareness of movement of body in space (gets disoriented easily)

      knows he’s falling, but can’t tell which way and can’t protect himself

Auditory Domain

Children with auditory discrimina-tion challenges may be mislabeled with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or disciplined for “never listen-ing” because they appear to ignore what is said to them. It may be difficult for them to hear the difference between background noise and the teacher asking, “Take out your science books and turn to page 103.” Symptoms may include the following:

      talks too loudly or softly

      experiences confusion when given directions

      appears to ignore others

Visual Domain


Children with poor visual discrimination tend to have trouble in school. It may be difficult for them to “read” emotions or to recognize letters and symbols. This causes problems such as letter reversals, problems finding pictures in a busy background, or difficulty reading. Other symptoms may include difficulty with the following:

      lining up numbers in a math problem

      scanning a page to find the keywords in a story

      judging the distance between oneself and an object or person


Olfactory/Gustatory Domain

Smell and taste discrimination do not cause as severe a social problem, so they are usually only treated when they occur with another sensory discrimination issue. For example:

      difficulty telling the difference between things that are somewhat sweet and those that are too sweet

      cannot tell if bread is burning, but has general sense something is wrong

      does not know familiar smells (e.g., grandma’s perfume, coffee shop you frequent)

Interoceptive Domain


Many functions of daily life depend on sensory messages from our body organs. Some examples include the following:

      soreness you feel after a good abdominal workout

      sensation of being hungry or too full

      sensation of an upset stomach

      sensation of a full bladder



Ways to Help a Child with SDD


It is important to make sure that a child is regulated before intervening with discrimination issues. You will know when a child’s overresponsivity causes a meltdown. You will know if he is a sensory craver and runs around trying to get more, more, more! But discrimination challenges are harder to see. Often discrimination issues, which are frequently missed by diagnosticians, are the cause of school problems.

Children who have poor discrimination need sensory-rich activities in the domain in which they have issues.

Visual: category games (e.g., find everything in the room that’s a circle, while driving point to all food-related signs)

Interoceptive: Talk about how your body feels at times when you are happy versus worried. Say things such as, “I’m so happy, I can feel my heart beating fast!” or “I always feel nervous when I [fill in the blank]. My stomach feels like it is flipping over.” That way the child will begin to understand the body sensations related to emotional content.

Auditory: Play the same-and-different game, “I’m going to say two words, and you tell me if they are the same or different. Then it will be your turn to try to trick me.”

Proprioceptive: Play Simon Says or Mother May I? performing unusual, novel body movements.

While we have enjoyed presenting this series of six Sensory Solutions columns, we are also painfully aware of all that remains unsaid, especially in this last column on SDD. The take-home message is this: If you have or work with a child who you suspect has Sensory Processing Disorder, seek out a multidisciplinary evaluation that includes occupational therapy. Don’t settle for “Don’t worry, he’ll grow out of it” or “Here’s a brochure on parenting classes.” Follow your instincts and find answers. Remember, there is help and hope!
  
Reference

Bialer, D. S., and L. J. Miller. 2011. No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges. Arlington, TX: Sensory World.

he is a sensory craver and runs around trying to get more, more, more! But discrimination challenges are harder to see. Often discrimination issues, which are frequently missed by diagnosticians, are the cause of school problems.

Children who have poor discrimination need sensory-rich activities in the domain in which they have issues.

Visual: category games (e.g., find everything in the room that’s a circle, while driving point to all food-related signs)

Interoceptive: Talk about how your body feels at times when you are happy versus worried. Say things such as, “I’m so happy, I can feel my heart beating fast!” or “I always feel nervous when I [fill in the blank]. My stomach feels like it is flipping over.” That way the child will begin to understand the body sensations related to emotional content.

Auditory: Play the same-and-different game, “I’m going to say two words,

     and you tell me if they are the same or different. Then it will be your turn to try to trick me.”

Proprioceptive: Play Simon Says or Mother May I? performing unusual, novel body movements.

While we have enjoyed presenting this series of six Sensory Solutions columns, we are also painfully aware of all that remains unsaid, especially in this last column on SDD. The take-home message is this: If you have or work with a child who you suspect has Sensory Processing Disorder, seek out a multidisciplinary evaluation that includes occupational therapy. Don’t settle for “Don’t worry, he’ll grow out of it” or “Here’s a brochure on parenting classes.” Follow your instincts and find answers. Remember, there is help and hope!

Reference


Bialer, D. S., and L. J. Miller. 2011. No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges. Arlington, TX: Sensory World.

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True or false


ll Cut round each of the statements in the left column (the column on the right provides answers for you to use in feedback).


ll Ask groups to sort the statements into true or false piles.

ll This activity is designed to encourage discussion about ‘facts’ about the autism spectrum and to identify misconceptions.


ll Most of the statements do not actually fit into a true or false category without adding words such as ‘some’ or ‘sometimes’ – hopefully each group will create a third category.


ll The activity will promote discussion about the range of differences across the spectrum and emphasise the importance of not making assumptions about individuals.



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Autism Science Foundation
National survey results show as many as 1 in 40 U.S. children have been diagnosed with autism, continuing an upward trend.
Researchers estimate 1.5 million American children ages 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with the developmental disorder, for a prevalence rate of 2.5 percent. The figures published onlineMonday in the journal Pediatrics come from data collected through the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, a government survey of parents of more than 50,000 children across the country.
As part of the survey, parents were asked if a doctor or other health care provider had ever told them that their son or daughter had autism and, if so, they were asked if the child currently has the condition.

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SENSORY PROCESSING: 5 THINGS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST WANT YOU TO KNOW

Today, we’d like to address some common myths we’ve encountered as occupational therapists regarding sensory processing and sensory activities for kids.

MYTH 1: Sensory means getting your hands messy.
TRUTH: Don’t get stuck on sensory play that appeals only to the hands! Kids experience the world using their entire bodies, so when you’re planning sensory play experiences, remember to get the whole body involved!
Try all different types of activities, including ones that allow your child to explore how his body moves in space and how it works against resistance. For example, bowling with a light plastic bowling ball is a very different sensory experience than bowling with a heavy weighted exercise ball. Sure, your child can carry a ball with his hands, but can he carry it between his knees or elbows? Draw attention to sensory experiences during everyday life and play. Can your child hear rice krispies pop when you pour in the milk? Can he see baking soda fizz when you add vinegar?
Remember to expose your child to play that engages all of the senses. Hearing, sight, taste, smell, movement, touch, and heavy work experiences. The idea is to form a healthy integration between ALL of the sensory systems so kids can listen, develop strong coordinated bodies, stay curious, initiate interactions in their environments and with their peers, and remain calm and focused so they can be at their best!
Try one of these sensory activities that target different areas of sensory processing:
I Spy With a Twist
8 Games to Play on a Swing
DIY Watermelon Scratch and Sniff Stickers

MYTH 2: Sensory activities are so easy! You just set them up and the kids will know what to do!
TRUTH: It is important for children to explore their environments independently to promote creativity and independent thinking. However, there can be benefits to guided sensory play too. Ask yourself if you would like the activity to have a specific purpose. To learn a motor skill? To learn to tolerate the feel of a texture? To engage and attend for a certain length of time? Or is it just to have fun?

When your child encounters a sensory experience, it can be a wonderful opportunity to expose and build his sensory systems through different avenues of play. Model and demonstrate ways to play and interact with the materials you’re presenting. Pretend play is perfect here! Structure the activity so it has a purpose (to build something, to find something, to move from one place to another). Siblings and friends make great models too. Presenting unfamiliar activities in a group setting can bolster feelings of security and confidence and allows for greater interaction and expansion of play.

MYTH 3: All sensory activities are beneficial in the same way to every kid.
TRUTH: Not true! Every kid is wired differently and will respond in his own unique way to the sensory experiences presented to him. Observe your child during his everyday routine and build sensory activities to meet his needs. Does he like to touch everything? Try building tactile bins into the play routine. Is he extremely sensitive to certain noises? Try gradually introducing a variety of non-threatening new sounds through toys and listening games. Does he get excitable and have trouble calming down? Think about adding in some calming sensory input – deep pressure, low lighting, soft sounds. Sensory integration is all about the individual child and what they need in the moment.

Myth 4: If a child is cautious about participating in a sensory experience, just make them jump in and give it a go…they’ll like it once they try it!
Truth: Allow the child to approach the activity himself, do not force it upon him. Let him watch first and adapt the activity to meet his needs. Gradually move from passive observation toward more active interaction with the sensory activity (e.g. if a child is reluctant to touch play doh, have him use utensils to cut and flatten it before trying it with his hands).
Think of ways to make the activity less intense if the child is reluctant or more intense when the child is ready for a deeper sensory experience. Have a kiddo who can’t tolerate finger paint? Try it with a paintbrush first. Still too much? Have him hold your hand while you paint the picture. What about a kid who is super excited when he sees the finger paints? Take it to another level! Let him paint with his feet! Add a texture such as sand to the finger paints.
Model for your child and let him see someone he loves and trusts engaging and having fun. Let him watch and keep the experience open for him to join in whenever he is ready. Keep in mind that the end goal of a sensory activity is for the child to have a strong, stable, and healthy sense of himself in his environment.

MYTH 5: More sensory input is always better!
TRUTH: Exposure to a variety of sensory experiences does support healthy development in kids. BUT there is such thing as overdoing it. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Try not to overwhelm kids by doing too much at once. Introduce sensory play gradually, one sensation at a time, watching your child’s responses and behavior. If he is enjoying himself, build on that and expose him to more.
For example, start with simple tactile play in a rice bin. Does he enjoy it? Does it keep his attention? Next time around, add a visual component by tossing in some objects for your child to find. If this goes well, add some auditory input. What about incorporating a song or a rhyme that asks him to find a specific object? For example, sing Old MacDonald. The child can find the animals you have hidden in the rice as they’re mentioned in the song. Finally, add in a little movement by positioning your little one in a rocking chair while playing with this same activity! Subtle, gradual exposure. Make sense? No pun intended! :)
Does your child struggle with sensory experiences during his everyday routine? Some children need help from a professional, such as a pediatric occupational therapist, to overcome fears and learn how to process this sensory rich world we live in. Think for a moment about how much you touch, hear, taste, see, and move every day. For a child with sensory processing difficulties who is unable to organize all of this input naturally, the world can be a very confusing, scary place. Seemingly simple tasks, like a haircut, a trip to the grocery store, or transitioning from one activity to another can be painful, alarming experiences (making them painful and alarming experiences for parents too!).

If you are worried about your child’s responses to sensory input, contact your physician for guidance and for a possible referral to an occupational therapist who can help.

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