SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1981
DISABLED DOING WELL IN CHILD CARE PROGRAMME
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MILDLY DISABLED CHILDREN HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES DOING WELL IN NORMAL DAY NURSERIES UNDER AN INTEGRATED CHILD CARE PROGRAMME COORDINATED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.
REPORTS ON INDIVIDUAL DISABLED CHILDREN HAVE RECORDED ENCOURAGING PROGRESS IN THE VARIOUS AREAS OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT DURING THEIR STAY IN THE NURSERIES WITH ABLE-BODIED PEERS.
UNDER THE PROGRAMME, EACH PARTICIPATING NURSERY ADMITS SIX MILDLY DISABLED CHILDREN PROVIDING THEM WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY PRE-SCHOOL CARE WITH NORMAL CHILDREN OF THEIR AGE.
REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT INDICATE THE DISABLED CHILDREN HAVE ACHIEVED IMPROVEMENTS IN WEIGHT, EATING HABITS, SELF CARE, AS WELL AS CONTROL AND COORDINATION IN MOTOR SKILLS.
AND, THEY HAVE SHOWN BETTER KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND BETTER INTERACTION WITH ADULTS AND PEER GROUPS.
SO FAR, 220 DISABLED CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ADMITTED UNDER THE PROGRAMME, OF THEM, 70 WERE DISCHARGED EITHER AT THE AGE OF SIX OR WHEN THEY HAVE FOUND ALTERNATIVE PROVISION AFTER DUE PROGRESS.
OF THOSE REACHING THE AGE OF SIX, MOST WERE ADMITTED TO SPECIAL SCHOOLS OR SPECIAL CLASSES RUN BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WHILE SIX WERE ADMITTED TO NORMAL KINDERGARTENS,
THE INTEGRATED PROGRAMME WAS INTRODUCED IN 1978 FOLLOWING THE 1977 WHITE PAPER ON REHABILITATION SERVICES, WHICH STATED THAT EARLY TRAINING CAN HELP A DISABLED CHILD TO FORM GOOD HABITS AND TO TRAIN BETTER DURING THE EARLY FORMATIVE YEARS OF HIS DEVELOPMENT.
THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMME AT A FASTER INCREASE RATE OF 90 PLACES PER ANNUM AS FROM 1981-82, COMPARED WITH THE EXISTING ANNUAL INCREASE OF 60.
THE DEPARTMENT HOPES MORE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES WILL COME FORWARD TO JOIN SO THAT MORE DISABLED CHILDREN CAN BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAMME.
PARTICIPATING NURSERIES ARE PROVIDED WITH STAFF TRAINING AS WELL AS AN EXTRA SUBVENTION TO MEET ADDITIONAL STAFF COST.
CHILDREN ADMITTED ARE MILD-GRADE MENTALLY RETARDED, PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED OR SLIGHTLY IMPAIRED IN SPEECH, HEARING OR SIGHT.
ADMISSIONS ARE BY WAY OF REFERRALS FROM WELFARE AGENCIES OR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, SUCH AS THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE PROGRAMME CAN BE MADE AT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S CHILD CARE CENTRES ADVISORY INSPECTORATE AT THE LADY TRENCH TRAINING CENTRE, 44 01 KWAN ROAD, HONG KONG (TEL. NO. 5-754321).
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