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disability actually is tends to make them obnoxious even to the most thoughtful adult although they are not. It takes a very discerning adult to look beyond the surface of the disability and into the worth of the children. Once the symptoms of the disability are distinguished and dealt with, we often find the goodness in these children, especially when we try to put ourselves in their shoes.

It also takes a very discerning adult to realize that every one, including himself, has some liability and hence the child labeled with some special disability is just as normal as any other child except where that child's disability is concerned. The teacher needs to try to make this point transparent to the classes he teachers concerning their classmate's specialty' and emphasize that everyone of us does have our own specialty'.

It is also very important that the child's special qualities' are not downplayed or disguised but dealt with sensitively in class so that he will not be seen to be given special concessions. On the other hand, the teacher should often highlight the child's positive attributes, as he would any other child, so that his classmates will see that he is as normal as anyone can be. It is easy to build a supportive class environment if the teacher is not biased towards the child because he is different'. If, for example, the child has a violent streak due to his disability, it is a great opportunity to teach his classmates ways to deal with violence in safe and non-violent ways. Teach children to recognize signs that the 'volcano' is 'erupting', use evacuation and run if the need arises'. Children who survive the year with such a classmate learn to be more empathizing and patient towards others in a realistic manner. It is the teacher that sets the tone and example for his students to follow when dealing with such a child.

It is most important for the teacher to be able to see the situation from a broader perspective and lend support to the parents of the child with a learning disability. We need to look beyond the present and help the parents cope with the child successfully too. It will not do to increase the parents' anxiety by simply calling on the parents when their child has an episode in class.

First and foremost, building a positive environment in class is important. Next, to help children accept this special classmate, the teacher must be able to identify his positive attributes and get them into play in class. By doing so, the child's self-esteem

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