Private board asks parent to put child with dyslexia through another test, this time conducted by an NGO, to prove learning disability

The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, known for its student-friendly guidelines, has rejected the learning disability (LD) certificate issued by Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central, that proves that Class 9 student Nandita Sharma has dyslexia, a developmental reading disorder,u00a0 and dysgraphia, a deficiency in the ability to write and dyscalculia, a difficulty in comprehending mathematics.

The Board has asked Nandita's school to provide an LD certificate issued privately by consultant psychiatrists or qualified organisations instead. Nandita, who underwent a series of tests in January, will have to be put through another set of exams for a new LD certificate, which her mother Seema Sharma feels is unnecessary and special educators recommend against.

When Sharma submitted the LD certificate last week to seek concession for her child's upcoming examination in March, she was shocked at their reply. "I don't mind paying for the second test, but I don't want my child to undergo that trauma," said Sharma.

Gerry Arathoon, the head of the ICSE Board said, "I don't have any idea of this case. I cannot answer your questions." Special educators fear that repeating the test on a child with LD will traumatise her. Dr Anjala Thadani, developmental pediatrician in KEM Hospital, Parel, said, "The ICSE board cannot reject the government certificate even though this isn't the first time that it has happened. The child can get traumatised if tested repeatedly.

A repeat test should ideally be conducted only after six months or one year." In Mumbai, three government hospitalsu00a0-- Sion, KEM and Nair Hospitalu00a0u00a0-- offer LD certificates besides private organisations like Maharashtra Dyslexia Association and Drishti. Names have been changed to protect identity.