The books are designed for children with autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and intellectual disability.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In an effort to standardise the curriculum for neurodivergent children, Chennai-based Prakramika Vocational Institute has brought out textbooks for them to ensure their education is not broken.“A uniform curriculum per se 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 founder and director of the institute Gayatri Narasimhan. She also pointed out that a structured curriculum provides a common academic framework which enables consistency in teaching and continuity in learning across special schools.To bridge this, Ms. Gayatri came out with a curriculum and launched ‘Beyond Labels’ textbooks for the children. “The 23 textbooks cater to neurodivergent children from birth to 25 years,” she said. The curriculum covers topics including communication skills, mathematics, functional academics, computer skills, activities of daily living, financial literacy, sex education, 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.The books integrate academic learning with communication, functional independence, life skills, workplace readiness, and community participation to ensure that education extends beyond the classroom, and prepares learners for independent lives.“The work started in 2020, when I published the first version of the curriculum in a book. Over the last two years, seven others and I worked on the textbooks covering various aspects of the curriculum,” said Ms. Gayatri.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).“These books can be implemented in special schools 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. Beyond Labels textbooks are right now available at the PVI office,” Ms. Gayatri added. Published - August 10, 2026 03:00 am IST
