SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1979
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NO ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILD'S NEEDS COULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE PARENTS, AND NO REHABILITATION PROGRAMME PRESCRIBED TO MEET HIS NEEDS COULD BE SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT WITHOUT THE IR CO-OPERATION AND PARTICIPATION.
+FINALLY, THERE IS THE GENERAL PUBLIC, MR. HO SAID. THEY MUST BE CONVINCED OF THE VALUES OF ACCEPTING DISABLED PEOPLE AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. THE PUBLIC MUST THEREFORE BE HELPED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS OF THE DISABLED.
+THE GREATER THE DEGREE OF DIRECT PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE REHABILITATION OF DISABLED PEOPLE, AND THE WIDER THE INTER-ACTION BETWEEN ABLE BODIED AND DISABLED PEOPLE, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT THE PUBLIC WILL UNDERSTAND, ACCEPT" AND ASSIST THE DISABLED IN THE COMMUNITY.
HAVING ACCEPTED THAT THE NEEDS OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WERE COMPLEX AND THAT A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE IR REHABILITATION WAS MOST ESSENTIAL, IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT PROFESSIONALS OF VARIOUS DISCIPLINES HAD RECEIVED SUITABLE TRAINING.
PARENTS, AS PART OF THE REHABILITATION TEAM, SHOULD ALSO RECEIVE TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL ADVICE TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF CARE OF THE IR DISABLED CHILDREN AT HOME. IT WAS THEREFORE MOST APPROPRIATE THAT TRAINING HAD BEEN INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE THEMES FOR THE SEMINAR.
MR. HO CONCLUDED BY SAYING HE WAS CERTAIN THAT THE SEMINAR WOULD FURTHER STIMULATE AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEMS OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN HONG KONG AND RESULT IN GREATER INVOLVEMENT BY PROFESSIONALS, PARENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE IR REHABILITATION.
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