CDA-licensed Psychologist Dr Alka Kalra, is the woman behind Eduscan who has changed the lives of numerous children with special learning needs
Dr Alka Kalra is a renowned Psychologist and Professional Counsellor, known as a crusader for children who are misconceived as problematic by society. She is able to sift through the haystack of difficulties and identify the root cause of their struggle, changing their lives and their learning experience all together. With her unnerving passion for children who have specific needs, Dr Kalra wanted them to never undermine themselves and realise that they have unique skills and strengths, which led her to establish Eduscan in 1995. With numerous noteworthy awards such as the All India Best Cadet ‘Gold Medal’ by late Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, and “Woman of the Year” by International Women Association under her belt, CDA-certified Dr Kalra has redefined learning in the education industry. “The children who come to me have specific learning difficulties. There was an era when people did not even acknowledge the presence of these cases and started to label their children as underachievers. Due to the social stigma attached to having a difficulty, children progress into adulthood hiding their struggle and never fully being able to resolve it,” explains Dr Kalra.
Eduscan and Dr Kalra aim to build the self-esteem of children who have been shunned and labelled, by developing their strengths through courses specially developed to correct their limitations. “Eduscan is an institute where we take the failures of a regular education facility and turn it around. Within the span of 22 years in the UAE, during which we have been operational, we have changed the lives of numerous children who struggled at school due to their non performance,” says Dr Kalra. “They are now in the roles of white collar jobs with good portfolios and arevery successful in their lives after turning to Eduscan when their regular schools ostracised them,” she adds. Eduscan offers a haven for children who have faced internal turmoil due to the day-to-day struggles and humiliation attached with not being able to perform according to preset standards. “We focus on their strengths first and build up their self-esteem, which is the most crucial component. We believe in being child-centric, in contrast to being centred on curriculum. As a licensed psychologist, I take their assessments and develop different strategies to overcome their
difficulties,” comments Dr Kalra.
Offering a bevy of programmes that range from personality development to physical development training and language training, Eduscan aims to improve the learning capabilities of children. “We have multiple programmes such as the brain activation programme that stimulates and balances the left and right hemisphere of the brain to develop the capability of performing tasks when one is blindfolded. Our personality development course aims to improve self-confidence, promote creativity, enhance memory and concentration. We have a programme that covers the methophobics and reading and writing limitations. All students are assessed through psychometric testing to identify intelligence aptitude and hidden learning difficulties. We also have the brain mapping test that provides a 32-page report at the end, which showcases multiple intelligences, personality types, thinking types, learning styles, VAK analysis, innate quotients and career guidance. These are just a few examples of the many programmes and consultations offered at Educan,” she explains. One of the most well-known programmes under the banner of Eduscan is Chill and Champ Camp. “Chill and Champ is a skill-based programme where memory and concentration, public speaking and creative thinking techniques are taught,” says Dr Kalra. Amongst her many endeavours, Dr Kalra provides training to educators and travels frequently to Malaysia, South Africa and Thailand. ” I believe that training teachers is incredibly crucial. We also touch the lives of children directly when schools or parents themselves recognise the needs of the children,” she adds. Eduscan also offers adult programmes, such as the walk on fire programme where participants walk on burning coals without a single blister that Dr Kalra calls a ‘life changing’ experience According to Dr Kalra, teaching patterns have changed tremendously in the UAE.
“The KHDA is putting a lot of focus on identifying the learning difficulties of children. The schools now encourage students to go for an assessment and there are tools through which teachers can identify their reading, writing, spelling and mental age. Everything has become very structured and organised as the schools realise what the inspecting bodies are looking for. Teaching is no longer a part time job in the UAE. There are necessary certifications required by the Ministry of Education. Schools have started to invest in the training of teachers. The special education needs are the focus of the regular schools because of the regulatory bodies demands from them,” explains Dr development authority and it gives me immense happiness to know that there are licensing institutes that cater to learning difficulties. Previously under the Ministry of Education, you could be a regular school or special needs centre. These children with learning difficulties do not belong to the special needs category and they deteriorate when they merge with fellow mates who are less competent than them,” she adds. Dr Kalra believes that there should be more exposure on the subject of learning difficulties and how to train teachers in order for them to help improve the learning experience for their students.
“Eduscan has brilliant programmes, and we are trying to make an international mark to help people all over the world. We have converted our programmes into softwares to train other teachers. Our life coach programme offers training for the participant so that they can help others. Our aim is to touch as many lives as possible as there is a need to overcome the obstacles of learning,” she comments.
“There is a study, which shows that out of the total school population around five per cent face learning difficulties,
whereas another survey shows that 50 per cent of successful people belong to the five per cent category. This phenomenon is interesting as non-verbal thinking, or picture thinking, on one hand underpins high intelligence and
giftedness, and on the other hand creates a barrier within traditional learning. No one likes to fail on purpose, as adults we do not want to fail. As parents and teachers, we should not label children or be in denial if they are facing a learning difficulty. We should recognise them and offer the help they need as early as possible,” she concludes.
