Speakers* at the TLDF 2008

 

	Dr. Madhuri Kulkarni Former Dean In-Charge, Professor and Head, Dept. of Pediatrics Former Dean In-Charge, Professor, and Head – Dept. of Pediatrics Dr. Madhuri Kulkarni has been a Professor and Head – Department of Pediatrics, L.T.M. Medical College and L.T.M.G. Hospital, Mumbai. She had completed her graduation in Medicine and postgraduation in Pediatrics at Seth G. S. Medical College, Mumbai and began her career as a lecturer in pediatrics at T.N. Medical College and subsequently worked as Associate Professor, Head of Department, and Dean In-charge at the L.T.M. Medical College, Mumbai. In a career spanning several years, she has delivered many lectures, and presented papers in both national and international conferences. She has been a guide to postgraduate M.D. and D.N.B. Pediatrics students, while also reviewing publications such as Indian Pediatrics, Indian Journal of Pediatrics, and Pediatric Clinics of India.   Dr. Kulkarni underwent training in ‘Munich Developmental Testing’ and ‘Vojta’s Kinesiology’ to evaluate infants at risk of developmental disorders. In 1992 she was awarded an international scholarship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, USA. She is also trained in pediatric neurology at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. In 2003 she was awarded the Fogarty scholarship in pediatric HIV at the New York School of Medicine. She has been one of the first few medical teachers to train undergraduate students in WHO-UNICEF IMNCI strategy at its inception in India. At the L.T.M.G. Hospital, Dr. Kulkarni started the Early Intervention Clinic for developmentally subnormal children in 1985, the Pediatric Neurology Clinic in 1992, and the Learning Disability Clinic in 1996. Dr. Kulkarni will be discussing the significance of research in learning disability.
	Dr. Kenneth R. Pugh President and Director of Research, Haskins Laboratories Dr. Pugh is currently the President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratories, a Yale-affiliated inter-disciplinary institute, dedicated to the investigation of the biological bases of language. Apart from being an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics (Neurology) at the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Pugh also directs the Yale Reading Center, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded project examining the neurobiology of reading development and reading disability. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Dyslexia Association, a corresponding member of the Rodin Remediation Academy in Stockholm, and a Member of the Language and Communications Study Section at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Pugh was recently nominated to serve on the National Commission on Reading Research sponsored by the National Institute for Literacy in Washington DC. Dr. Pugh’s presentation will discuss the Neuro-psychological basis of learning disabilities.
	Dr. Sunil Karande Associate Professor of Pediatrics, LTMG Hospital, Mumbai Dr. Sunil Karande is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Learning Disability Clinic at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai, since 1998. He has completed his M.D. (Pediatrics) and has worked as a Lecturer in Pediatrics at Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital. He has also been a Postgraduate Guide for M.D. (Pediatrics) and has published original research in the field of learning disabilities. He has published eighty-four papers in peer-reviewed journals, and is a reviewer of several Medline-indexed journals, at both the national and international levels. Dr. Karande will be making a research presentation titled, “Analysis of dyslexic adolescents’ recollections of their schooling years.”
	Ms. Rukhshana Sholapurwala Special Educator, LTMG Hospital, Mumbai Ms. Rukhshana Sholapurwala holds an M.Ed., a B.Ed. in special education, and a B.H.Sc. in Child Development and has worked in the field of special education for more than twenty-five years. She now runs a private clinic for children in need of special care and continues to work as a special educator for the LTMG Hospital and the DPYA High School. Ms. Rukhshana also serves as a course coordinator of the Postgraduate Diploma in Special Education at SIES College and is an active member at Child Reach, the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association, and the Indian Association for Pre-school Education. Ms. Rukhshana will make a research presentation on life after certification.
	Ms. Tricia Murphy Independent Special Education Needs Consultant Ms. Tricia Murphy (née Barthorpe) has spent more than 30 years in education and was a Head-teacher of The Special Educational Needs Support Service in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. She has also been a consultant to the British School in Stavanger, Norway and has worked with the staff of the Western Academy in Beijing on assessing their students for special educational needs. She has written several books including Differentiation Your Responsibility, the Disability Discrimination Act, and more recently, Beyond Inclusion, which she co-authored with a close friend. She has been the President of the National Association for Remedial Education and the National President of the National Association of Special Educational Needs (nasen) in 2002 and 2003. Her work is highly regarded and has won her the title of Woman of Achievement in the Public Sector in 2003. Ms. Murphy was part of the first TLDF in 2006 and will be joining us once more in 2008 to discuss the establishment of an LD-friendly environment.
	Ms. Lorraine Petersen CEO, nasen, UK Prior to her appointment as CEO, nasen in 2004, Lorraine held a number of teaching posts within mainstream schools in Sandwell, West Midlands. She completed her teaching career, spanning 25 years, as Head Teacher in two very diverse primary schools. Lorraine was a voluntary officer of nasen till her appointment as the CEO. She has wide-ranging experience of working with pupils with various special and additional needs within mainstream settings, giving her a first-hand understanding of the issues related to caring for and educating children with special educational needs. She has also liaised with a range of organizations within a multi-agency context. In the past two years, Lorraine has worked on projects with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). She has also been a guest speaker and consultant for a number of organizations and events. Most recently, Lorraine has been involved as a member of the Sector Advisory Group for Education and Skills (SAGES), and has been a speaker at several international events. Ms. Peterson will discuss practical approaches for supporting children with learning disabilities.
	Dr. Swaroop Sampat-Rawal Educational Consultant, Mumbai and Gujarat Dr. Swaroop has completed her Ph.D. from the University of Worcester, where she wrote a paper titled The Role of Drama in Enhancing Life Skills in Children with Specific Learning Difficulties in a Mumbai School. She has also received a certificate in Special Education from the Arya Vidya Mandir Institute of Special Education, India. Presently, she is a visiting faculty member at the Podar School, SNDT College, and the Dilkush Training Center in Special Education. She has been invited to present papers at several national and international conferences including the International Conference in Psychology for the SNDT College and a Varied Communication Skills workshop in India; addressing the cause of children with special needs. She has also written papers on improving pro-social skills and anger management through drama and has been instrumental in helping teachers enhance the life skills of special students in schools. Dr. Swaroop has a great passion for the arts and theater, and is recognized for her talent, both on television and in the theater circuit. It comes as no surprise then that she has used her capabilities in arts and drama to help enhance the life skills of children in need of special education. She strongly believes that quality experiences in art can help young minds become capable of questioning and evaluating the values, beliefs, and traditions of their own society and to find their place in the world. She conducts workshops and lectures for schools and colleges in Mumbai and Gujarat and has recently planned a rural, residential drama camp in Rajpur, India. Her work in the field of special education has won her awards from the Rotary Club and Human Resource and Development, Delhi. Dr. Swaroop will be making a presentation on Using Drama to Enhance Life Skills in Children with Specific Learning Difficulties.
	Ms. Apoorva Panshikar** Lecturer, Centre of Special Education, S.N.D.T Women’s University, Mumbai Ms. Apoorva is an M.A in Psychology and has completed her M.Ed. in Special Education from the S.N.D.T Women’s University. She has also done her P.G in Counselling Psychology. Her key contributions in the filed of learning disability have been the development of diagnostic  tests in vernacular languages and the adaptation of the Diagnostic Test of Reading Disorders, in Marathi. At present, she is a lecturer at the Centre of Special Education, SNDT Women’s University and is involved in teacher training – at graduate and post graduate levels – conducting workshops for parents and special educators, along with providing guidance and counselling to children with LD and their families. Ms. Apoorva also takes keen interest in conducting assessments and remedial programs for children in need of special education and has undertaken several research projects in her field of interest. Ms. Panshikar will be making a presentation on the new beginnings in the field of LD for vernacular medium students. ** Speaker at the TLDF Mumbai only.
	Dr. Mintu Sinha** Principal, Bombay Teachers’ Training College Dr. Mintu Sinha holds an M.A., M.Ed. and a Ph.D. in Public Administration. She has also received a certificate in Education Leadership from the West Georgia University, US. At present, she is the principal of the Bombay Teachers’ Training College and has twenty-one years of teaching experience. Dr. Sinha has presented several papers at national and international conferences; she recently presented a paper at an international conference at the Commonwealth Council For Educational Administration & Management (CCEMA), South Africa. Apart from her role as a guide for M.Ed. and Ph.D. students, she has been appointed as the Chairperson, Syllabus Committee and Board of Studies in Education at the University of Mumbai. Dr. Sinha will be presenting a paper on Transforming Education: Changing Lives. ** Speaker at the TLDF Mumbai only.
	Dr. Anindita Chatterjee** Clinical Psychologist, Manovikas Kendra Research & Rehabilitation Institute, Kolkata Dr. Anindita Chatterjee is a Clinical Psychologist, Manovikas Kendra Research & Rehabilitation Institute, Kolkata. For the past five years, she has also been a Consultant Psychologist at the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata.She was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Roehampton University, London and Fontys University, Netherlands. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Applied Psychology, and has studied autism as part of her Ph.D. at Kolkata University. Prior to her current position, she has been a Consultant Psychologist at the Spastic Children Association of Selangor & Federal Territory, Malaysia and a Counsellor at the Lady Irwin College, Department of Special Assistance, India, among other roles. She has vast experience in teaching and research in the field of learning disabilities. She has undergone professional training on PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to overcome communication difficulties at Milton Keynes, London and Audiblox (developmental program to overcome learning disability) in Singapore. Dr. Chatterjee has several articles to her credit in peer-reviewed journals; she has also made several national and international presentations, and is the winner of notable awards. She is the first Indian recipient of the EU Commission Erasmus Mundus scholarship for postdoctoral scholar study.  She is an Associate Member of Rehabilitation Council of India since 1991, and a member of the Delhi Association for Clinical Psychologists since 1993. ** Speaker at the TLDF Kolkata only.

 

* Subject to change.

 

 

 

 

Click here for the TLDF 2007 speakers and presentations