Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and counselling support from clinical psychologists — children with disabilities studying in Delhi government schools will now have access to a wider range of therapeutic services through the Education department’s resource centres. The new services have been mandated under a recent order by the Directorate of Education’s (DoE) Inclusive Education branch. At present, according to officials, there are 24 resource centres in Delhi. Of these, 10 were launched by Home Minister Amit Shah last month. The 10 new centres were opened as part of the Delhi government’s ‘Sewa Pakhwada’ campaign. Officials said the centres will benefit over 12,500 children with disabilities, offering not just therapy but also family counselling, sensory and virtual reality rooms, and formal assessment facilities. Each centre is staffed with six professionals with diverse specialisations on an outsourced basis. These centres have been set up “to provide therapeutic services” to children with disabilities studying in DOE schools. The Standard Operating Procedure already issued for such centres in 2022 will apply to the new facilities as well, according to the DoE's order. In addition, schools have been directed to strictly follow the guidelines laid out in the recent order to ensure smooth functioning and coordination among Special Education Teachers (SETs), Resource Centre Coordinators, and therapists. The centres will function six days a week, including during school vacations, from 9 am to 5 pm. Each therapy session will last 45 minutes, with up to eight sessions conducted daily. All children with disabilities must be accompanied by their school’s SET during such visits, the order underlines. If the SET is unavailable, the Head of School (HoS) must delegate another teacher to escort the child and update parents on the progress, according to the order. Referral forms, along with disability certificates and medical records, will be required before scheduling sessions. Safety and accountability measures have also been underlined in the DoE order. All blocks of the centres, including waiting areas, must be under CCTV coverage, while the HoS of each Resource Centre will act as the nodal officer responsible for day-to-day vigilance. Alongside these centres, every government school, as per previous instructions, are required to establish a resource room for individual or small-group academic and therapeutic support. Based on the severity of need, a child may be taken out of class for one or two regular periods for such sessions. The schools have also been asked to ensure barrier-free infrastructure — accessible pathways, entrances, toilets, lifts, drinking water, parking, and classrooms — to facilitate inclusivity. The DoE had earlier stressed the early detection of specific learning disabilities and timely pedagogical interventions. The schools are also tasked to monitor the progress and participation of every student with a disability, ensure their completion of education, and provide transport with attendants for those with high support needs.
