Special Education as career choice

Ranjan K Baruah *

Most of us are fortunate who are reading this article but there are some people who may not be able to read the article or understand it well.

You might be thinking that I am talking about illiterate people but I would put it in other way. I am not talking about illiterate people but people who are having disabilities. There are individuals with some disabilities and there are many who are physically challenged.

We have no right to ignore anyone if s/he has any disabilities. We must look for an inclusive society where everyone has their rights. This is possible when we work with the people who need our care and love.

We must have understanding and self control if we would like to work for the special children and other people who are physically challenged. Children with disabilities are so special that people working for them have to have a mind which can understand and comprehend situations as it’s a challenge working with them. But with passion, commitment and helping attitude one can make career in this area which not only help many but also gets blessing.

One needs to be socially motivated and also emotionally stable when working with these special people.

There are many degrees, certificates and diploma programme which can be opt by young people or any other who are interested in this field.

There are degree, diploma and certificate courses available in various colleges in the country recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

An aspirant can choose to study to work for visually impaired, hearing impaired and/or mentally challenged persons. There are specialized degree programmes available in the fields of Locomotor and Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Vocational Counselling, Care Giving, etc.

Some of the courses related to B Ed and M Ed in Special Education includes -Hearing Impairment, Mental Retardation, Visual Impairment, Learning Disability, etc. PG Advance Certificate/Certificates courses are also available like Post Graduate Professional Certificate/Diploma in Special Education in Mental Retardation / Hearing Impairment / Visual Impairment.

Other courses includes Bachelor in Mobility Science, Graduate and Masters courses in Prosthetics & Orthotics, Master in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, M.Sc. in Audiology, M.Sc. in Speech Language Pathology, Bachelor in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Bachelor in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Master in Rehabilitation Science , Master in Disability Rehabilitation Administration, M.A. Social Work in Disability Studies and Action, Bachelor in Rehabilitation Science, Post-Graduate Diploma in Disability Rehabilitation and Management, Advance Diploma in Child Guidance and Counselling, Certificate Course in Care Giving, etc. National Centre for Disability Studies (NCDS) under Indira Gandhi National Open University conducts different courses related to special education.

Development sector needs trained people to work with special children and people with disabilities. There are many schools and other institutes which are being operated in different parts of the country that deals with special children and related causes.

Government also supports many institutes and voluntary societies that work for the welfare of special people. Degree in social work is also useful to work in this field. As per as the placement is concerned one can get job in different school and institutes apart from other Non Governmental Organisation which are working on this issue.

Now a days there are also support from corporate as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate also engages people in their corporate to deal with this activities.

There are many rewarding careers one can pursue in working with infants, children and youth with disabilities and their families. Some of terms that are related to this profession are Special Education Teacher, Early Intervention Specialist/Early Childhood Special Educator, Art Therapist, Educational Audiologists, Interpreter for the Hearing Impaired, Music Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, School Counsellor, School Nurse, School Psychologist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, etc.

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) was set up as a registered society in 1986. On September,1992 the RCI Act was enacted by Parliament and it became a Statutory Body on 22 June 1993. RCI conducts courses in regular and distance mode in association with other universities.

Let’s take up these professions as many of our friends might need our help who are physically challenged. Together we can make an inclusive society and to do that we have to work with everyone and our present and future generation will be proud of our profession.