Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has made the DISHA Curriculum compulsory in all government and government-aided special schools for children with intellectual disabilities across the state.
Along with the curriculum, the use of the DISHA Portal, Individualized Education Programme (IEP), Individualized Therapy Programme (ITP), and the assessment system has also been made mandatory.
The Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Department issued a notification to this effect on Monday. The DISHA Curriculum, developed by the Jai Vakeel Foundation and Research Centre, Mumbai, and recognised by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID), provides a comprehensive framework for the educational and functional development of children with intellectual disabilities.
It has been implemented in various special schools in Odisha since 2019. As per the notification, all special schools under the administrative control of the SSEPD Department must implement the DISHA Curriculum and related systems with immediate effect.
The Collector and District Magistrate will be the overall supervisory authority in each district, while the District Social Security Officer (DSSO) will act as the nodal officer for coordination, monitoring, reporting, and capacity-building activities.
Schools are required to register the institution, teachers, therapists, and students on the DISHA Portal at the beginning of every academic session. Every student will undergo a baseline assessment, after which an Individualized Education Programme will be prepared in consultation with parents, therapists, and teachers.
An Individualized Therapy Programme covering communication, daily living activities, mobility, social behaviour, speech and language, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy will also be developed and reviewed periodically. Special schools must adopt multisensory teaching methods prescribed under the DISHA Curriculum. Mid-term and annual assessments will be conducted through the portal, and progress reports will be shared with parents during parent-teacher meetings.
Failure to implement the curriculum and related instructions may attract administrative action, including withholding of grant-in-aid.
The notification has been issued by Additional Secretary Bhaskar Raito and comes into force with immediate effect.
