MUSCAT: Marking a milestone in the care for children with special abilities worldwide, a Muscat-based educator who established a special centre for children in India has released a curriculum comprising a set of textbooks exclusively designed for neurodivergent children.
These books are designed for children with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and intellectual disability.
Speaking to the Observer, Dr Gayatri Narasimhan, a passionate special educator, inclusive education specialist, vocational trainer, and counsellor, who holds years of hands-on experience in the special education field, said that her Chennai-based Prakramika Vocational Institute has brought out textbooks for the special children across the world to ensure their education is not broken.
“A uniform curriculum for neurodivergent children does not exist. Special schools follow their own based on the broad needs of the child; however, the continuity in their education might be broken as they move around different schools,” said Dr Gayatri, adding that a structured curriculum provides a common academic framework which enables consistency in teaching and continuity in learning across special schools.
She brought out a curriculum called ‘Beyond Labels’ with 23 textbooks to cater to neuro-divergent children from birth to 25 years. Dr Gayatri said the set of books covers topics including communication skills, mathematics, functional academics, computer skills, activities of daily living, financial literacy, safety, personality development, self-advocacy, soft skills, physical fitness, yoga, and vocational education. “The books are designed for children with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and intellectual disability, among others," she said.
These books, co-authored by 8 parents and teachers who have lived alongside neurodivergent children, aim at integrating academic learning with communication, functional independence, life skills, workplace readiness, and community participation in order to ensure that education extends beyond the classroom and prepares learners for independent lives.
Launched in February 2026, the Beyond Labels books cater to five developmental stages: early childhood (0-6 years), pre-skill (6-10 years), basic (11-15 years), intermediate (16-20 years), and advanced (21-25 years).
She said that these books can be implemented in special schools anywhere in the world in the same way that prescribed textbooks and curricula are used in mainstream education.
“Based on each learner’s developmental stage, educators can use the curriculum to prepare Individualised Education Programmes,” said Dr Gayatri.
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