After CBSE, state board comes to aid of autistic kids

Pratibha Masand | TNN

Mumbai: A year after the CBSE allowed concessions for autistic children appearing for the all-important Class X exams, the state board is following suit.

Starting with the SSC exams in March 2010, students with autism can avail of a slew of concessions—from appearing for exams in their own school, extra time for papers and opting for lower level maths—said state education board chairperson Vijaysheela Sardesai. The SSC board has decided to implement the concessions for Std IX and X autistic students.

“We have decided to implement these concessions starting from the upcoming 2010 board exams. We have sent the letter to the divisional board,’’ said Sardesai. However, when TOI called up Sridhar Salunkhe, chairperson of the Divisional Board, Mumbai, on Monday, he said that he had not received the letter. “We do not know anything about it as we haven’t received any letter on this issue from the SSC board,’’ he said.

While CBSE has been implementing these concessions for over a year, the appeal to SSC board was made in last April. “Even though the SSC board had decided to grant the concessions last April, it was yet to be implemented as they wanted to fine-tune the proposal,’’ said Chitra Iyer, president of Forum For Autism, a parental support group, who had first raised the demand for concessions.

“If the concessions are being implemented from this year itself, then it really is a relief for us. My son is in Std IX and is autistic. He will be giving his board exams next year. But it really is very difficult for him to learn as fast as other children. He, like all autistic children, hates to write. I just wish the concessions were given to him at an earlier stage, so it would have been less difficult for him to pass the lower classes,’’ said Suniti Roshan, a Kandivli resident.