good afternoon labels have a very deep impact on our lives
impact on our lives
impact on our lives I had many labels in my school and
I had many labels in my school and
I had many labels in my school and college days I was an achiever a role
college days I was an achiever a role
college days I was an achiever a role model I then moved into another phase of
model I then moved into another phase of
model I then moved into another phase of my life where I was recognized by the
my life where I was recognized by the
my life where I was recognized by the rules I had to play now it’s all come
rules I had to play now it’s all come
rules I had to play now it’s all come around and I am recognized and
around and I am recognized and
around and I am recognized and identified for myself and the work I do
identified for myself and the work I do
identified for myself and the work I do asked me I grew up as a carefree
asked me I grew up as a carefree
asked me I grew up as a carefree teenager with a never-say-die attitude I
teenager with a never-say-die attitude I
teenager with a never-say-die attitude I didn’t care what anybody thought about
didn’t care what anybody thought about
didn’t care what anybody thought about me as long as I could do what I wanted
me as long as I could do what I wanted
me as long as I could do what I wanted to do I never thought much about what I
to do I never thought much about what I
to do I never thought much about what I was good at and what I wasn’t good at
was good at and what I wasn’t good at
was good at and what I wasn’t good at and what I was good at so the good and
and what I was good at so the good and
and what I was good at so the good and bad wouldn’t really matter no pressures
bad wouldn’t really matter no pressures
bad wouldn’t really matter no pressures no expectations I was very happy with
no expectations I was very happy with
no expectations I was very happy with who I was but at that point of time I
who I was but at that point of time I
who I was but at that point of time I didn’t realize how important that was
didn’t realize how important that was
didn’t realize how important that was marriage gifted me with many labels I
marriage gifted me with many labels I
marriage gifted me with many labels I was so many people at one shot I was a
was so many people at one shot I was a
was so many people at one shot I was a wife a daughter-in-law a sister-in-law
wife a daughter-in-law a sister-in-law
wife a daughter-in-law a sister-in-law an aunt
an aunt
an aunt and so on and so on I identified with
and so on and so on I identified with
and so on and so on I identified with all the specifications that each role
all the specifications that each role
all the specifications that each role demanded and played it with aplomb my
demanded and played it with aplomb my
demanded and played it with aplomb my children came along and I was a mother
children came along and I was a mother
children came along and I was a mother so that was one more to my repertoire of
so that was one more to my repertoire of
so that was one more to my repertoire of roles but slowly the me in my life was
roles but slowly the me in my life was
roles but slowly the me in my life was becoming smaller and smaller but I
becoming smaller and smaller but I
becoming smaller and smaller but I didn’t realize that
didn’t realize that
didn’t realize that and then the crisis in my life the
and then the crisis in my life the
and then the crisis in my life the bottom of my world fell out and I was
bottom of my world fell out and I was
bottom of my world fell out and I was standing alone wondering which role I
standing alone wondering which role I
standing alone wondering which role I had to play from what I was from who I
had to play from what I was from who I
had to play from what I was from who I was I was now recognized by what had
was I was now recognized by what had
was I was now recognized by what had happened in my life and more labels came
happened in my life and more labels came
happened in my life and more labels came flying at me there was this little girl
flying at me there was this little girl
flying at me there was this little girl a six-year-old a bubbly child
a six-year-old a bubbly child
a six-year-old a bubbly child bright-eyed a bundle of energy
bright-eyed a bundle of energy
bright-eyed a bundle of energy she could roleplay she loved to sing to
she could roleplay she loved to sing to
she could roleplay she loved to sing to dance she could make up stories at the
dance she could make up stories at the
dance she could make up stories at the drop of a hat
drop of a hat
drop of a hat she was so expert expressive and
she was so expert expressive and
she was so expert expressive and spontaneous but when she picked up a
spontaneous but when she picked up a
spontaneous but when she picked up a book to read she merely pretended to
book to read she merely pretended to
book to read she merely pretended to read she was puzzled she could not make
read she was puzzled she could not make
read she was puzzled she could not make sense of what she saw this little girl
sense of what she saw this little girl
sense of what she saw this little girl was my daughter and she had a severe
was my daughter and she had a severe
was my daughter and she had a severe difficulty in reading and spelling the
difficulty in reading and spelling the
difficulty in reading and spelling the first label emerged she was a child with
first label emerged she was a child with
first label emerged she was a child with specific learning difficulties more
specific learning difficulties more
specific learning difficulties more labels followed dyslexia no attention no
labels followed dyslexia no attention no
labels followed dyslexia no attention no focus attention seeking perceptual
focus attention seeking perceptual
focus attention seeking perceptual difficulties bad handwriting some more
difficulties bad handwriting some more
difficulties bad handwriting some more followed no confidence low self-esteem
followed no confidence low self-esteem
followed no confidence low self-esteem bad behavior behavior issues and so on
bad behavior behavior issues and so on
bad behavior behavior issues and so on and so forth I could barely find my
and so forth I could barely find my
and so forth I could barely find my child she was buried under this mound of
child she was buried under this mound of
child she was buried under this mound of names I panicked not knowing what to do
names I panicked not knowing what to do
names I panicked not knowing what to do I held her hand tight and she sensed the
I held her hand tight and she sensed the
I held her hand tight and she sensed the fear in me trying to make sense of this
fear in me trying to make sense of this
fear in me trying to make sense of this I very hesitantly stepped into the field
I very hesitantly stepped into the field
I very hesitantly stepped into the field of special education with the intention
of special education with the intention
of special education with the intention of helping her I held her hand and we
of helping her I held her hand and we
of helping her I held her hand and we walked together her faltering steps
walked together her faltering steps
walked together her faltering steps became stronger and she no longer needed
became stronger and she no longer needed
became stronger and she no longer needed to hold my hand all the time from
to hold my hand all the time from
to hold my hand all the time from walking behind me she started walking
walking behind me she started walking
walking behind me she started walking beside me and then she walked ahead of
beside me and then she walked ahead of
beside me and then she walked ahead of me ready to fly she has worked hard on
me ready to fly she has worked hard on
me ready to fly she has worked hard on herself getting to know herself her
herself getting to know herself her
herself getting to know herself her strengths and weaknesses she has
strengths and weaknesses she has
strengths and weaknesses she has inspired me to hold the hands of many
inspired me to hold the hands of many
inspired me to hold the hands of many other children and walk with them
other children and walk with them
other children and walk with them helping them to find themselves in this
helping them to find themselves in this
helping them to find themselves in this journey I have found myself and I’ve
journey I have found myself and I’ve
journey I have found myself and I’ve realized that’s the trick to understand
realized that’s the trick to understand
realized that’s the trick to understand who you are and learn how to live
who you are and learn how to live
who you are and learn how to live continuing to be who you are learning
continuing to be who you are learning
continuing to be who you are learning disabilities is an umbrella term for a
disabilities is an umbrella term for a
disabilities is an umbrella term for a variety of learning problems
variety of learning problems
variety of learning problems learning problems don’t affect
learning problems don’t affect
learning problems don’t affect intelligence or motivation SLD is a
intelligence or motivation SLD is a
intelligence or motivation SLD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which
neurodevelopmental disorder which
neurodevelopmental disorder which manifests in the school years in the
manifests in the school years in the
manifests in the school years in the form of difficulties in the three RS
form of difficulties in the three RS
form of difficulties in the three RS reading writing and arithmetic most of
reading writing and arithmetic most of
reading writing and arithmetic most of these children have average and above
these children have average and above
these children have average and above average intelligence and there is a big
average intelligence and there is a big
average intelligence and there is a big gap in their ability and achievement
gap in their ability and achievement
gap in their ability and achievement early identification and intervention
early identification and intervention
early identification and intervention are the key to success though success
are the key to success though success
are the key to success though success doesn’t mean that the problems go away
doesn’t mean that the problems go away
doesn’t mean that the problems go away it is a lifespan disorder if I were to
it is a lifespan disorder if I were to
it is a lifespan disorder if I were to tell you today that I have a learning
tell you today that I have a learning
tell you today that I have a learning difficulty would you have any way of
difficulty would you have any way of
difficulty would you have any way of finding out that I had one definitely
finding out that I had one definitely
finding out that I had one definitely not it’s a hidden disability because
not it’s a hidden disability because
not it’s a hidden disability because there is no external symptom of
there is no external symptom of
there is no external symptom of indication that the child has a problem
15% or more of school going children
15% or more of school going children have some kind of learning problem or
have some kind of learning problem or
have some kind of learning problem or the other
the other
the other simply put children and adults with
simply put children and adults with
simply put children and adults with learning difficulties see hear and
learning difficulties see hear and
learning difficulties see hear and understand the word differently and
understand the word differently and
understand the word differently and that’s their strength which we have to
that’s their strength which we have to
that’s their strength which we have to recognize I’m Stein Edison Richard
recognize I’m Stein Edison Richard
recognize I’m Stein Edison Richard Branson Steven Spielberg hafiz
Branson Steven Spielberg hafiz
Branson Steven Spielberg hafiz contractor the re architect Bathsheba
contractor the re architect Bathsheba
contractor the re architect Bathsheba the percussionist and raghava the artist
the percussionist and raghava the artist
the percussionist and raghava the artist all from India the last three would you
all from India the last three would you
all from India the last three would you call them lazy dumb
call them lazy dumb
call them lazy dumb retard slow that’s what children with
retard slow that’s what children with
retard slow that’s what children with learning difficulties are most often
learning difficulties are most often
learning difficulties are most often called they are different their brains
called they are different their brains
called they are different their brains are wired differently and so this
are wired differently and so this
are wired differently and so this difference affects how they receive and
difference affects how they receive and
difference affects how they receive and process information intervention is
process information intervention is
process information intervention is possible that’s what we can do about it
possible that’s what we can do about it
possible that’s what we can do about it it is to help the child use the
it is to help the child use the
it is to help the child use the strengths and compensate free strategies
strengths and compensate free strategies
strengths and compensate free strategies to you to achieve their personal and
to you to achieve their personal and
to you to achieve their personal and academic goals children with learning
academic goals children with learning
academic goals children with learning disabilities
disabilities
disabilities and do succeed the challenge is to rise
and do succeed the challenge is to rise
and do succeed the challenge is to rise about these labels and that’s the work I
about these labels and that’s the work I
about these labels and that’s the work I love to do this journey has taken me
love to do this journey has taken me
love to do this journey has taken me into another area of teacher training in
into another area of teacher training in
into another area of teacher training in which I strive to empower young men and
which I strive to empower young men and
which I strive to empower young men and women and parents who are passionate to
women and parents who are passionate to
women and parents who are passionate to make a difference to the life of these
make a difference to the life of these
make a difference to the life of these children in this journey I have been
children in this journey I have been
children in this journey I have been inspired by many young women and their
inspired by many young women and their
inspired by many young women and their determination in zeal to shake off the
determination in zeal to shake off the
determination in zeal to shake off the labels that they bear of being a wife a
labels that they bear of being a wife a
labels that they bear of being a wife a sister a daughter a mother and reach out
sister a daughter a mother and reach out
sister a daughter a mother and reach out to find themselves and help these
to find themselves and help these
to find themselves and help these children life has come a full u-turn
children life has come a full u-turn
children life has come a full u-turn I’ve still got labels I’ve survived I’ve
I’ve still got labels I’ve survived I’ve
I’ve still got labels I’ve survived I’ve achieved but now I know myself they say
achieved but now I know myself they say
achieved but now I know myself they say a guru is one who helps you to find
a guru is one who helps you to find
a guru is one who helps you to find yourself to be yourself and my gurus are
yourself to be yourself and my gurus are
yourself to be yourself and my gurus are these resilient little ones these young
these resilient little ones these young
these resilient little ones these young men and women who have shown me that I
men and women who have shown me that I
men and women who have shown me that I can be Who I am by not giving up I’m
can be Who I am by not giving up I’m
can be Who I am by not giving up I’m lovable I’m capable
lovable I’m capable
lovable I’m capable I can fail I can make mistakes I am
I can fail I can make mistakes I am
I can fail I can make mistakes I am copying competent I can climb mountains
copying competent I can climb mountains
copying competent I can climb mountains and stand victorious they have shown me
and stand victorious they have shown me
and stand victorious they have shown me that nothing is insurmountable and
that nothing is insurmountable and
that nothing is insurmountable and that’s me and that’s them I am Who I am
that’s me and that’s them I am Who I am
that’s me and that’s them I am Who I am today because they are who they are to
today because they are who they are to
today because they are who they are to do away with these labels to work
do away with these labels to work
do away with these labels to work towards inclusion of these children in
towards inclusion of these children in
towards inclusion of these children in society and to ensure that they get the
society and to ensure that they get the
society and to ensure that they get the recognition that they deserve is the
recognition that they deserve is the
recognition that they deserve is the mission of my life along with this I
mission of my life along with this I
mission of my life along with this I would work on empowering teachers to
would work on empowering teachers to
would work on empowering teachers to strengthen their skills and also to
strengthen their skills and also to
strengthen their skills and also to build public awareness of the seemingly
build public awareness of the seemingly
build public awareness of the seemingly simple yet complex problem my work my
simple yet complex problem my work my
simple yet complex problem my work my life and myself they have all much
life and myself they have all much
life and myself they have all much either there is no struggle within I can
either there is no struggle within I can
either there is no struggle within I can no longer differentiate the three and
no longer differentiate the three and
no longer differentiate the three and that’s being me thank you
that’s being me thank you
that’s being me thank you [Applause]
”
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