Inclusive learning strategies to enhance reading skill among the students with reading disability: An Occupation and Participation Approach to Reading Intervention (OPARI) in the rural Indian classroom

Abstract

Reading is a challenging task for reading disability for which they need comprehensive strategies like sensory and neurocognitive requirements. With this notion, the article aims to find, the appropriate pedagogies and clinical practices used for intervening the reading disability in Indian public schools. To examine, qualitative interviews were conducted with ten high school teachers and four special education teachers, who work in Government schools in India especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. The interview focused the opinions of the teachers on reading disability, facilities and pedagogies provided to the reading disability and from the interview, the study has derived the results in three main themes as, teachers’ views on reading disabilities, inadequate teaching strategies for reading disabilities, special education to the reading disabilities. In the discussion section, the article attempts to resolve the issues raised in the interview by introducing an exclusive approach to intervene reading disability. The article incorporates the principles of the Occupational Participation and Adaptation to Reading Intervention approach (OPARI) to intervene the reading disability and attempts to find a solution to the issues. In addition, the article attempts to justify the neuroscience behind the OPARI by highlighting the dopamine activation in the brain while adapting to reading. In the conclusion section, the article emphasizes therapeutic associative teaching and the need to implement OPARI in Indian classrooms.