City schools assay disabled students

Shanghai has become the first city in the country to require all disabled students to undergo comprehensive examinations before they enroll in special education institutions, local media reported Wednesday.

The examinations, which also included IQ tests, could help students with treatable disorders remain in normal classes and prevent misunderstandings about a student's disabilities from interfering with his or her education.

"Thanks to the comprehensive examinations, we have a better understanding of each child's condition, and this can help us avoid making 'detours' when we make plans to help students," said Zhou Meiqin, principal of the Pudong Special Education School.

A total of 227 new students with physical and mental disabilities underwent the examinations, which are free, before starting classes this school year, the Youth Daily reported. The students had their physicals in July and pediatricians specialized in treating vision, hearing, limb and mental disorders offered consultations around the city on August 12.

The examinations aim to help teachers come up with more personalized teaching programs for each student, Zhou said.

"Before, different schools had different enrollment policies. Although most schools looked at students' medical records before admitting them, some students' problems may have been neglected," she told the Global Times.

Zhou cited the case of a child with a mental disability, who was unexpectedly diagnosed with a hearing disorder after the examinations.

"The parents of the child previously had his IQ tested and assumed that he couldn't understand anything that other people told him because he was 'stupid,'" she said.

Zhou added that many disabled children have more than one disability, a fact that many parents are unaware of. Even for children with one disability, an accurate diagnosis can make a big difference to their future education.

Earlier this year, two candidates for the Shanghai School for the Blind were found with vision problems that could be cured through surgery, Chen Dongzhen, deputy director of the basic education department of the Shanghai Education Commission, told local media.

"One has cataracts and the other has cornea problems. They are likely to regain their eyesight after surgery and attend normal schools," she said.