SPECIAL EDUCATION
It is estimated that there are between 5 - 8% children who are handicapped in some way or the other.  Significant among them would be the blind, orthopedically handicapped, mentally retarded, and those with learning disabilities.  These children form a large chunk of the population for whom until recently there was no education available.  In recent years after a
lot of research and dedicated work, educational institutions for such children have been coming up in various cities.  A distinct branch of teaching called Special Education has now become a career in itself.

Those who are sensitive to the needs of the "children of a lesser God", find tremendous satisfaction in entering this field, and slowly it is offering a reasonably remunerative career.  One needs to specialize in a particular areas of disability to be able to deal with children in that category.

There are also many allied fields of working with "special" children, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, child psychology, etc. With the establishment of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), working with the disabled has been brought under regulation, and all institutions and individuals working in this field need to get recognition from RCI.

ENTRY:  Depending on the area of specialization, one can choose the course of study.  Most courses are available to those who have completed their 10+2 with any subjects, and the duration of the courses vary from one year diplomas to three year degrees.  On successful completion, there is a reasonable assurance of a job, though it may not be highly remunerative (in
the range of Rs. 3,000 - 4,000 to begin with).  Subsequently one can seek better avenues with government or NGOs which have the necessary funding to pay better salaries, or one can start a private consultancy. Many people prefer to take up part time or honorary jobs, since they consider service to the disabled a mission rather than a job.  This career suits housewives who wish to balance their home needs with professional work.

APTITUDE: To be a good special educator, one needs a great deal of patience, ability to handle children, the capacity to spend long periods of time training up a child who may not show quick progress.  A smiling and positive temperament is a great boon in this work, and so is the ability to judge human behavior and come up with innovative experiments to bring out the best
in every child.

THE FUTURE:  As mentioned earlier, this field may not offer the most remunerative jobs, but it is a fact that the scenario is steadily improving. However, those looking only for financial returns or success and glory are likely to be disappointed.  This field is for those who are genuinely concerned about children, particularly those who are disadvantaged.  While many institutions do manage to allocate budgets which incorporate decent salaries, the returns may not match those of the corporate sector. With progress and new techniques coming up every year, this field does offer new challenges and is particularly attractive for those who wish to continue their own learning process while they teach.

SOME ADDRESSES:
Diploma courses for special educators:
Karnataka Parents Association for Mentally Retarded Citizens (KPAMRC),
                                            AMH Compound, Off Hosur Road, Bangalore 560029  Phone: 6631608
National Institute for Mentally Handicapped (NIMH),
                               Manovikas Nagar, Secunderabad 500015

For B Sc in Speech and Hearing:
Institute of Speech and Hearing, Lingarajpuram, Hennur  Road, Bangalore 560084  Phone: 5470037

For course of Instructors of Disabled:
Spastic Society of Karnataka, 1st Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore 560038


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