Education therapy and designing its certificate course

Education therapy deals with needs-assessed based specific intervention for converting cognitive skills into academic skills related to reading, spelling, writing (for mild and moderate cases with bad handwriting) and Math and classroom performance of children with learning or hidden disabilities.

Education therapy focuses on interventions for enhancing cognitive skills through the changes in cognitive structure of the following categories of CWSN.

·         Specific Learning Disability (SLD) 
·         Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD) 
·         Deficit in cognitive, perceptual, social, emotional functioning 
·         Slow learners and weak at academic achievement 

Education therapists’ competencies

·         Accommodating and adaptive design thinking skills  based on the existing strength of the child
·         Action learning skills ( action planning and implementing therapy plan and adjusted social pedagogy with centrally of empathy and self-less service)
·         Designing evidence or diagnosis based multi-sensory, play-way interventions  with protocols
·         Developing cognitive intervention  as per individual need of each child

Focus of education therapy courses

·         Knowledge and understanding about the basics of learning disability and  therapeutically sound practices
·         Practice in psychological and educational assessments of learning patterns and cognitive strengths and weakness of LD child
·         Practice of cognitive intervention as educational therapy to improve the cognitive functioning and enhancement of academic performance.
The content for certificate courses of 4-6 weeks could include the following topics

THEORY (3 week, 45 hours)

·         Learning Disability (LD) and its kinds 
·         Educational therapy , individualized instructional pedagogy, social pedagogy and  therapeutic procedures
·         Specific Learning Disability (SLD) and Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD)
·         Informal  and formal Assessment for Early Identification and entry Intervention and Perceptual Activities to fulfil the developmental gaps , attentiveness training and readiness programme or accommodation 

Practical (1- week, 15-20 hours)

·         Use of assessment tools and case history of the child
·         Guided and supervised intervention : Designing, trialling, fine tuning
·         Content delivery methods consist of demonstration, interactive presentations, discussions, Assignments

Evaluation and certification

·         3 hour written examination
·         Internal assessment of practical
Special note:
Often one expert conducts the course for 10-15 students