Special Education in India the Success of a Model Program

In India, the family is largely responsible for its members with disabilities. With the increase of women in the work force and with fewer joint family systems in the urban areas, many parents are concerned about their ability to take care of their children with disabilities. Also, parents have few opportunities to advocate for their children. Meetings are often difficult to organize and are poorly attended. In response to those needs, the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped organized the first national meeting of the registered parent associations in 1990 (Misra, 2000).