Harshi Sehmar, director of the Village International Education Centre, a Bangkok-based school that specializes in providing full and part-time educational opportunities for children struggling in 'mainstream' schools, said that a child shouldn't be blamed for any apparent inability to perform academically.

“Children who can't concentrate in class, miss deadlines, or refuse to complete assignments are often labeled 'stupid' or 'lazy', particularly when they have no apparent physical difficulties,” Sehmar said. Sehmar says such problems can often be related to cerebral malfunctions.

Adjusting to students' needs
Sehmar says such problems can get worse should children fail to get the opportunity to access appropriate teaching methods from specially-trained teachers.

In mainstream schools, the teaching methods used are unlikely to be appropriate for these kinds of children. For example, talking while writing on the board is a fairly common phenomenon in mainstream classrooms, but for a special needs student, this can be a problem since by doing this the teacher is 'accidentally' failing to provide the body language such a student may rely on.

The concept of special needs is still a relatively new subject matter in Thailand. There are very few resources available, or organizations with the kinds of specialists required in one location to service these youngsters.

Three-quarters of the students attending Village International Education Center are international students, while the remainder are Thais. Among the challenges they are learning to cope with are: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD); Learning Disorder (LD); Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD, or Autism); Asperger's Disorder; intellectual deficiency (related to conditions such as Down Syndrome); and mood disorders.

As an educator, Sehmar, together with a support team of psychologists, special needs teachers, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists, assess the abilities and weaknesses of each child, establishing what the problem might be behind any difficulties encountered.

An individual educational program is developed for each child so that they can try to improve academically and behaviorally. By focusing on praising and encouraging the child's strong points, the child can enjoy greater self-esteem.

Children who shows signs of Dyscalculia (a disorder related to difficulties with math) get the chance to spend more time on this subject, while children diagnosed with Dyslexia or Dysgraphia (disorders related to difficulties with the written language) are given greater opportunities to read or be read to. The center also creates environments in which children with behavioral problems can learn how to calm down and become less aggressive.

Continuous improvement
The center's specialists strive to develop their expertise in line with the center's policy of helping its students in every aspect so that they will eventually become independent.

One good example is the case of a boy who was struggling to achieve anything at a regular international school due to the fact that he had learning difficulties related to ADHD. At the Village International Education Center, staff discovered that this child showed a real talent for sports. The school developed an individual program for the child, who was then able to pass his General Educational Development (GED) exam, allowing him proceed further with his education. He is now studying to be a physical education (PE) teacher at a university in the UK. In this respect, the center has achieved its goal – once a child's problems have been overcome, they can then revert back to 'mainstream' education.