The words, explained.

Every term a family meets when arranging special-educational-needs support in India, in plain English, with the Hindi where it helps.

Shadow teacherशैडो टीचर

A support professional who sits with one child through the school day, at the school's invitation. She helps your child follow instructions, stay settled and take part in the class without doing the work for him. The school's inclusion policy and any plan from your child's therapists set how she works.

Special educatorविशेष शिक्षक

A trained teacher who works with a child who learns differently, either on the school's staff or at home. At home, a special educator builds structured learning, routines and life skills into the day and carries over what the child's therapists have planned.

Remedial teacherउपचारात्मक शिक्षक

A teacher who gives structured, step-by-step tutoring in reading, writing or maths to a child with a learning disability. Sessions are usually fixed hours after school, at home or online, and follow a planned programme rather than homework help.

Learning support assistant (LSA)

A school-based support role attached to one child or a small group, helping them access the lessons. In schools across India the terms LSA and shadow teacher are often used for the same job; some schools employ their own, others ask the family to arrange one.

Inclusion coordinatorसमावेशन समन्वयक

The member of school staff who oversees support for children with additional needs. She is usually the person who agrees to a shadow teacher, sets the IEP and decides how the school's inclusion policy applies to your child.

Resource roomसंसाधन कक्ष

A quiet room in a school where a special educator works with children singly or in small groups, outside or alongside the main class. Your child may go there for set periods and return to the classroom for the rest.

Individualised education plan (IEP)

A written plan, usually prepared by the school, listing your child's targets, the support he will receive and how progress is reviewed. A shadow teacher or special educator works to the IEP, not around it, and reports against it.

Accommodations

Changes to how a child learns or is tested, without changing what is taught: extra time, a quieter seat, printed notes, a laptop or a reader. The school agrees them on the basis of a report from a psychologist or hospital.

Modifications

Changes to what a child is expected to learn, such as fewer questions, a reduced syllabus or a different assessment. They go further than accommodations and are set out in the IEP with the school's agreement.

Board exam concessionsबोर्ड परीक्षा में रियायतें

Provisions a board may allow a candidate with a documented learning disability or other need during public exams, such as a scribe, extra time or an exemption from a subject. Each board sets its own conditions and asks for its own paperwork, so the school and your child's psychologist guide the application.

Scribeलेखक

A person who writes down a candidate's answers in an exam, at the candidate's dictation. A scribe is arranged through the school or board under its own rules; a remedial teacher can help your child practise dictating answers clearly.

Extra timeअतिरिक्त समय

Additional minutes allowed in an exam for a child whose reading, writing or processing is slower. It is agreed by the school or board on the basis of a report, and a child needs practice using it well.

Learning disability (LD)सीखने की अक्षमता

A difference in how a child processes reading, writing or numbers that is not explained by intelligence or effort. In India the term covers dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia together, and a certificate from a hospital or psychologist is what schools and boards rely on.

Dyslexiaडिस्लेक्सिया

A specific learning disability affecting reading, spelling and the handling of written language. It is identified by a psychologist; support is structured, multisensory teaching in short daily sessions, with accommodations at school.

Dysgraphiaडिस्ग्राफिया

A specific learning disability affecting handwriting and written expression, often with slow or effortful letter formation. Support combines explicit handwriting teaching, typing and, where the school allows, a scribe or laptop.

Dyscalculiaडिस्कैल्कुलिया

A specific learning disability affecting number sense and arithmetic. It is supported through concrete materials and small, sequenced steps rather than more practice of the same sums.

Autismऑटिज़्म

A lifelong developmental difference in how a person communicates, relates to others and experiences the sensory world. Autistic children often do well with predictable routines, visual supports and the same adults day after day. A developmental paediatrician or child psychologist makes the identification.

ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a neurodevelopmental condition affecting attention, impulse control and activity level. Support centres on structure, movement built into learning and help with planning and starting tasks. A doctor or psychologist makes the identification.

Down syndromeडाउन सिंड्रोम

A genetic condition present from birth that affects learning and development to a varying degree. Children with Down syndrome learn well with patient repetition, visual teaching and speech practice woven into the day.

Cerebral palsyसेरेब्रल पाल्सी

A group of conditions affecting movement and posture, caused by differences in the developing brain. Learning needs vary widely; physiotherapists and occupational therapists set the physical programme, and an educator works to it in the classroom and at home.

Developmental delayविकासात्मक विलंब

A child reaching milestones in speech, movement, thinking or social skills later than expected. A developmental paediatrician confirms it and guides early intervention; a special educator helps practise skills at home every day.

Global developmental delay

Significant delay across two or more areas of development in a young child. Support is coordinated across several professionals and focuses on daily living skills taught patiently and repeatedly.

Intellectual disabilityबौद्धिक अक्षमता

A lifelong condition affecting reasoning, learning and adaptive skills such as self-care and communication. Support centres on independence and consistent, respectful routines, with certification handled by a hospital or psychologist.

Speech and language delayवाणी और भाषा में विलंब

A child developing speech sounds, words or understanding later than expected. A speech-language pathologist assesses and treats it; the daily practice happens at home in play, at meals and over books, in whichever languages the family speaks.

Speech-language pathologist (SLP)वाक् एवं भाषा चिकित्सक

A qualified clinician who assesses and treats speech, language, communication and feeding difficulties. A special educator or shadow teacher carries the SLP's targets into everyday talk; she does not provide the therapy herself.

Occupational therapist (OT)व्यावसायिक चिकित्सक

A qualified clinician who helps children build the motor, sensory and daily-living skills needed for school and home life. The OT sets the programme; the educator at home carries it into dressing, writing, meals and play.

Developmental paediatricianविकासात्मक बाल रोग विशेषज्ञ

A doctor who specialises in how children grow and develop, and who leads the identification of conditions such as autism, ADHD and developmental delay. Families usually see one at a hospital or clinic; Special Minds does not diagnose and works to the doctor's report.

Child psychologistबाल मनोवैज्ञानिक

A qualified psychologist who assesses learning, attention, behaviour and emotional wellbeing, and writes the reports that schools and boards rely on. Special Minds does not employ psychologists; where a report is needed, we help you find one.

Sensory processingसंवेदी प्रसंस्करण

How a child takes in and responds to sound, touch, light, movement and taste. Some children are over-sensitive, some under-sensitive, and many are both in different ways. An occupational therapist identifies the pattern and sets the strategies.

Sensory diet

A plan written by an occupational therapist listing the movement, touch and calming activities a child needs through the day, and when. It has nothing to do with food. A shadow teacher or special educator follows the plan; she does not write it.

Visual scheduleदृश्य समय-सारणी

A row of pictures or symbols showing what will happen next and in what order. It is one of the simplest tools for a child who finds change hard, and it works at home, at school and in the car.

Applied behaviour analysis (ABA)

A therapy for teaching skills and reducing behaviours that get in the way of learning, designed and supervised by a behaviour analyst and delivered by trained therapists. Special Minds provides ABA therapy in India, with every programme designed and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), at home, at school, online and at a centre. A shadow teacher or special educator may also carry strategies from an ABA plan into the day, under the analyst's direction.

BCBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst: the certified professional who designs, supervises and reviews an ABA programme. If your child has an ABA plan, the BCBA is the person the therapists and any educator at home take direction from. Every Special Minds ABA programme is designed and supervised by a BCBA; you can check any BCBA on the BACB's public registry.

RBT

Registered Behavior Technician: a credential, issued by the US-based Behavior Analyst Certification Board, for practitioners who deliver ABA sessions under a BCBA's supervision. At the time of writing (October 2026) new RBT applications are accepted only from residents of certain countries, which do not include India, so ABA therapists in India often hold other training or credentials; what matters most is that a BCBA designs and supervises the programme.

Early interventionप्रारंभिक हस्तक्षेप

Support that starts as soon as a delay or difference is noticed in a young child, usually before school age. It is led by clinicians, and a special educator at home helps the family practise between sessions.

Mainstream school

An ordinary school following a board such as CBSE, ICSE, IB or IGCSE, where most children learn together in the same classroom. A child with additional needs may attend with a shadow teacher, an IEP and accommodations.

Inclusive schoolसमावेशी विद्यालय

A mainstream school that teaches children with additional needs alongside their peers, with a resource room, special educators on staff and a written inclusion policy. How much a school can provide varies, so ask to see the policy and meet the coordinator.

Special schoolविशेष विद्यालय

A school set up for children with a particular disability or a range of complex needs, with small classes and specialist staff. Some families use one full time; others combine it with home learning or a later move to a mainstream school.

Home schooling / open schoolingगृह शिक्षा / मुक्त विद्यालय

Learning at home in place of daily school attendance, with exams taken later through an open-schooling route. Some families choose it when a school placement is not working; a special educator can structure the learning day and keep records.

Child-support profile

The document Special Minds writes after meeting your family and reading the reports you share. It sets out your child's routines, strengths, what helps and what to avoid, so the educator arrives knowing him. It is not an assessment or a diagnosis.

Placement

The arrangement in which a vetted shadow teacher, special educator or remedial teacher begins work with your family. Special Minds sets out the hours, duties and fees in writing before anything is signed, and stays involved afterwards.

Supervision

What Special Minds does after the placement starts: scheduled check-ins, a written report each month, and coordination with the school and your child's therapists. It is how problems are caught early and the educator keeps improving.

Replacement guarantee

Special Minds's commitment to find a replacement, without a new placement fee, if a placement ends within the guaranteed period for reasons the agreement covers. The period and the conditions are set out in writing before you sign.

Safeguardingबाल सुरक्षा

The checks, conduct rules and reporting routes that keep a child safe with an adult who is not family. In a home placement it covers vetting, boundaries, devices and photographs, and what the educator does when something is wrong.

Reference check

A conversation, not just a letter, with each previous family or school a candidate has worked with. Special Minds speaks to referees directly and asks about conduct with children as well as skill.

Background check

Verification of a candidate's identity, address, qualifications and police record before she meets your family. Qualifications are confirmed with the awarding institution and police verification is obtained through the route available where she lives.

Practitioner training

The Special Minds practitioner programme: structured training for shadow teachers and special educators in routines, behaviour support, working to a therapist's plan and safeguarding. Practitioners we place have completed it or are completing it while supervised.

Household planसंयुक्त परिवार योजना

A short written agreement for households where relatives and anyone who helps in the home all spend time with the child. It records the routines, the words and the responses everyone will use, so your child meets the same approach whoever is in the room.

UDID cardयूडीआईडी कार्ड

The Unique Disability ID card, issued together with a disability certificate through the government's UDID portal, swavlambancard.gov.in. A parent applies online for a child, a medical authority notified by the state assesses the child, and the certificate and card are issued electronically. The certificate is valid across India.

Benchmark disability

A specified disability of 40% or more, as certified by the certifying authority, under Section 2(r) of the RPwD Act, 2016. Some rights apply only at this level, such as free education from six to eighteen under Section 31, while the Act's duties on inclusive education cover children with disabilities more widely.

RPwD Act, 2016दिव्यांगजन अधिकार अधिनियम, 2016

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, India's main disability law, in force since 19 April 2017. It lists the specified disabilities, including autism, specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability and cerebral palsy, and places duties on recognised schools, among them reasonable accommodation and early detection of learning disabilities.

CWSN (children with special needs)विशेष आवश्यकता वाले बच्चे

The term used in Indian education policy, including NEP 2020 and the Samagra Shiksha scheme, for children with disabilities at school; policy documents also say Divyang children. Samagra Shiksha's inclusive-education component supports CWSN in government, government-aided and local-body schools.

National Trustराष्ट्रीय न्यास

A national body set up under the National Trust Act, 1999 for people with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities. It runs schemes such as Niramaya health insurance and Disha early intervention, and appoints legal guardians for adults through local committees headed by the District Collector.

Niramayaनिरामया

The National Trust's health insurance scheme for people with autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities. It covers treatment, ongoing therapies and hospital care on a reimbursement basis, with no age bar and no medical tests before joining. A UDID card for a covered disability is required, with a narrow exception for young children.

DEIC (District Early Intervention Centre)जिला प्रारंभिक हस्तक्षेप केंद्र

A government centre at the district hospital, set up under the RBSK child health programme, that confirms diagnoses, provides therapy and links families to specialist care. Services are meant to be free, and parents can refer their own child. Not every district's centre is fully running, so check locally first.

CRR number

A registration number on the Central Rehabilitation Register kept by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Special educators, clinical psychologists and speech therapists need one to practise. A family can check the number, name and status on RCI's public online search. Shadow teachers and occupational therapists are not RCI categories.

AAC (augmentative and alternative communication)

Ways of communicating that add to or replace speech: picture cards, communication boards, signing, and speech-generating apps or devices. A speech-language pathologist assesses for AAC and sets it up; the adults around the child use it all day. The RPwD Act asks governments to promote it.

Stimming

Short for self-stimulatory behaviour: repeated movements or sounds such as hand-flapping, rocking, humming or spinning objects. Many autistic children, and some others, stim to calm themselves, concentrate or show excitement. Stimming that causes no harm rarely needs stopping; if it hurts the child or blocks learning, ask their occupational therapist or psychologist.

Selective mutismचयनात्मक मूकता

An anxiety condition in which a child who speaks freely in some places, usually at home, consistently cannot speak in others, such as school. It is not shyness or defiance. A child psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses and treats it, and the adults around the child help most by taking away the pressure to talk.

Dyspraxiaडिस्प्रैक्सिया

A difference in planning and coordinating movement, affecting tasks such as dressing, handwriting, catching a ball or packing a school bag. The RPwD Act lists it within specific learning disabilities. An occupational therapist assesses the motor side and sets the programme; an educator helps the child practise it through the day.

Twice-exceptional (2e)

A child who is highly able in some areas and also has a learning disability, ADHD, autism or another difference. Each can hide the other: the ability masks the difficulty, or the difficulty hides the ability. It is a description, not a diagnosis; a clinical psychologist's assessment usually brings both to light.

ABC chart

A simple record of behaviour in three columns: the antecedent (what happened just before), the behaviour itself, and the consequence (what happened straight after). Kept over several days, it helps a psychologist or behaviour analyst see patterns. A shadow teacher or special educator may be asked to keep one.

Reinforcement

In ABA, anything that follows a behaviour and makes it more likely to happen again: praise, a turn with a favourite toy, a break, or simply getting what the child asked for. It is decided by what works for this child, not by what adults assume is a treat.

Prompting and prompt fading

Help given so a child can get a skill right: a gesture, a model to copy, a spoken hint or a hand guiding the movement. Prompt fading means reducing that help step by step until the child does the skill alone.

Task analysis

Breaking a skill such as brushing teeth, putting on a uniform or packing a school bag into small, ordered steps, so each step can be taught and checked. Chaining then teaches the steps in order, forwards from the first or backwards from the last.

Discrete trial training (DTT)

A structured ABA teaching method in which a skill is practised in short, repeated turns: an instruction, the child's response, then feedback or a reward. It suits some early skills, and works best alongside play-based teaching rather than instead of it.

Natural environment teaching (NET)

Teaching skills during play and everyday routines, such as mealtimes, bath time or a trip to the park, using what the child is already interested in. It helps skills carry over into real life.

Functional behaviour assessment (FBA)

The process a behaviour analyst or psychologist uses to work out why a behaviour happens: what sets it off and what the child gets or avoids by it. Its findings shape the behaviour plan. Families and school staff often help by keeping ABC notes.

Behaviour intervention plan (BIP)

A written plan, based on a functional behaviour assessment, that sets out how to prevent a behaviour, which skill to teach in its place, how adults respond, and how progress is measured. It is written by a behaviour analyst or psychologist; others follow it.

Functional communication training (FCT)

Teaching a child a quicker, easier way to get what a behaviour was getting them, such as asking for a break with a word, a sign, a picture or a device instead of hitting or screaming.

Extinction burst

A short-lived increase in a behaviour when it stops working the way it used to. It is why some behaviour plans warn that things may get harder before they get better. Any plan that relies on this is designed and supervised by the analyst, and never applies to distress, pain or safety.

Generalisation

A child using a skill beyond where it was taught: with different people, in different places and with different materials. A skill that only appears at the therapy table is not yet secure, so good programmes plan for generalisation from the start.

Mand

In the verbal behaviour approach, a request: asking for something wanted, or for something to stop, by word, sign, picture or device. Teaching requests early often reduces frustration. A tact is naming or commenting on something.

Token economy

A reward system in which a child earns tokens, such as stars or stickers on a board, for agreed behaviours and exchanges them for something they want. It works best when the tokens are easy to earn at first and the board is used the same way at home and school.

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