Light from the shadow: Why parents are hiring teachers to sit in class

A child enters a regular classroom but struggles to write or focus. Lessons that others grasp easily remain confusing. Parents, unaware of hidden challenges, urge her to work harder. It’s not that she isn’t trying — she simply can’t explain her struggle. Anxiety mounts, often spilling over into aggression, tears, or emotional meltdowns. Eventually, the signs can no longer be ignored.Parents consult a counsellor, the school is informed, and soon, a quiet addition joins the classroom: a shadow teacher — a trained professional who provides one-on-one support to children with learning differences within mainstream schools.Growing need for classroom support“The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising, and most schoolteachers aren’t equipped to handle them. That’s where a shadow teacher steps in,” explains Gopa Dalal, a Mumbai-based special educator who currently works with a primary school student in Breach Candy.Before the pandemic, Gopa was a part-time therapist for autistic children while serving as a preschool vice-principal. Back then, she hadn’t encountered the concept of a shadow teacher. But post-Covid, with growing awareness around mental health, early diagnoses of ASD and ADHD became more common — and so did the demand for specialists who could quietly guide students through the school day.Today, shadow teachers are often hired directly by parents, with schools offering their consent and support. medium120763207Parents hire, schools consentIndia’s educational policies — from the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE) to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — advocate for inclusive classrooms that cater to children of all abilities.While elite private schools often have multidisciplinary Special Education Needs (SEN) sections with in-house specialists, many private institutions lack the budget or personnel to offer such services. In these cases, when parents are willing to bring in shadow teachers, schools are happy to collaborate.“We have 6-7 shadow teachers in our school currently. They are hired by parents, but the school monitors their performance and updates parents regularly. It’s a much-needed collaboration that benefits everyone,” says Boski Sharma, special educator at Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj. The school currently has shadow teachers supporting students with conditions such as severe anxiety, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy.Similarly, NC Jindal Public School’s Learning Skills Centre in Delhi provides specialist support to students with learning difficulties like dyslexia and dysgraphia, often incorporating privately hired shadow teachers after school approval.Most schools require shadow teachers to submit police clearance certificates and sign child protection declarations.More than an academic aidShadow teachers — often trained co-educators with diplomas in special education — do much more than simplify classroom tasks. They monitor students’ emotional states, prevent crises, and build bridges between students, teachers, and parents.“A good shadow teacher doesn’t push a child beyond their capacity. They read early signs of anxiety or fatigue and intervene wisely,” says Deepa Bhat Nair, a speech and language pathologist. “Empathy is crucial. They must stay calm during meltdowns without getting overwhelmed. Every child is different, every day is different.”Their support extends beyond children with developmental issues. Students dealing with social anxiety, low self-esteem, or emotional challenges also benefit from having a steady, understanding guide by their side. medium nocaptionhttp://youtu.be/Cq1kf0-WKkc?si=d0rD58zbWlFK9e1uA mirror to societal changeTwenty years ago, when Shivanie Kapoor’s son was diagnosed with autism, awareness was virtually nonexistent. “It was a silent epidemic of unspoken struggles,” she recalls. Today, as a child and adolescent counsellor based in Noida, Kapoor sees how much progress has been made.“Counselling is no longer a luxury or an afterthought. It’s as fundamental to education as literacy itself,” she says. “With rising academic pressures and invisible stressors, emotional and psychological support must be woven into our educational fabric.”The change is visible on the ground. “Even five years ago, many parents would deny their child’s condition,” says Gopa Dalal. “Today, there’s greater willingness to learn about ADHD, dyslexia, autism — and to seek help.”For Preeti, an HR professional in Greater Noida, hiring a shadow teacher for her mildly autistic son Tejas (8) at The Wisdom Tree School was a turning point. “Shadows are an essential investment during a special child’s early years. They help level the playing field and strengthen their future,” she says.For others like Abhishekh Datt, however, the shadow teacher was a short-term arrangement. “She helped our son settle into the classroom and build confidence. But after a year, we felt it was time to encourage independence. Shadows are valuable, but parents must reassess their role periodically,” says Datt, whose 11-year-old now studies at Sheoran International School in Noida. mediumThe challenge of costWhile shadow teachers are slowly becoming essential partners in mainstream education, affordability remains a hurdle.Experts believe the profession is poised for a transformation — from an informal role to a structured vocation backed by standardised training and accreditation. “Parents sometimes mistakenly hire tuition teachers or relatives without professional training. To maintain quality, we need formal certification and clear policies for integration into school setups,” says Deepa Bhat Nair.But cost is a serious barrier. Specialist shadow teachers with experience can charge between ₹15,000 and ₹45,000 a month — an expense that many middle-class families struggle to bear.“Shadow teachers are a godsend for families of children on the autism spectrum,” says Pallavi Shankar, mother of a 14-year-old boy with ASD. “But unless government support expands, too many families will be priced out.”As Indian classrooms evolve to embrace diversity, shadow teachers are quietly rewriting the rules of inclusion — giving children who learn differently not just an education, but a fair chance at thriving.