Chapter 10
The Care and Education of Disabled Children
10.1
The
Young disabled children face many educational disadvantages. disability may affect how they acquire and retain knowledge, appreciate different colours and sounds, and acquire basic skills. Without this essential foundation, it would be difficult for a young child to mature socially and intellectually. Accordingly, the White Paper Integrating the Disabled into the Community: A United Effort emphasised the importance of pre- school care, education and training for disabled children. The following is a brief summary of the relevant sections of the Government's Rehabilitation Programme Plan.
Identification and assessment
10.2
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At present the Medical and Health Department operates a Comprehensive Observation Scheme in 29 out of 38 Family Health Service Centres. Full coverage is expected by 1982. The scheme provides for the routine observation of all infants from birth to the age of five, the main objective being to ensure that all defects are discovered and then promptly treated.
10.3
The Medical and Health Department operates one Child Assessment Centre which provides a wide range of assessment, treatment and care for children identified or suspected of being disabled. Six more centres are planned to be in operation by 1985/86. In addition it is proposed to expand the educational assessment and treatment services in the two Special Education Services Centres operated by the Education Department. These centres provide specialist assessment and remedial services for disabled children.
Pre-school care education and training
10.4
The Rehabilitation White Paper proposed that, during the 1980's, pre- school training should be developed specifically in two ways:
(i)
for severely disabled young children requiring special child care centres. These centres are currently available for the moderately and severely mentally handicapped, the profoundly deaf and the severely physically disabled. In respect of the mentally handicapped, the shortfalls in provision are very large and there are therefore plans for a major expansion in this area in the early 1980s. It is proposed that from 1980/81, 100 additional places should be provided each year in special child care centres in order to meet the estimated demand in full by 1988. Preparatory classes are however available for all other severely disabled children in special schools from the age of four years; and
(ii) by the integration of less severely disabled children with other
children in normal child care centres. 120 such subvented places are available at present. A further 60 subvented places will be provided in 1980/81 and an additional 90 places per annum thereafter.
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