SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1979
SOCIAL SERVICES SECRETARY OPENS YEAR OF
THE CHILD SEMINAR
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THE YEAR OF THE CHILD PROVIDES HONG KONG WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE SERVICES PRESENTLY PROVIDED TO ASSIST CHILDREN, INCLUDING HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.
IT ALSO GIVES HONG KONG THE CHANCE TO CONSIDER PLANNING OBJECTIVES TO EXPAND BOTH THE QUALITY AND THE QUANTITY OF THESE SERVICES FOR THEM TO DEVELOP THE IR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL CAPABILITIES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
MR. E.P. HO, SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, SAID THIS TODAY (SATURDAY) WHEN OPENING AN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD SEMINAR ON THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILD+ AT THE DUKE OF WINDSOR CENTRE.
MR. HO SAID MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WERE THE LARGEST GROUP OF DISABLED CHILDREN IN HONG KONG AND THE NATURE OF THEIR DISABILITY WAS USUALLY COMPLEX. REGRETTABLY, NO COUNTRY HAD YET DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME FOR THEM.
+ IT IS THEREFORE MOST STIMULATING THAT YOU HAVE GATHERED TOGETHER TODAY TO STUDY THE NEEDS OF MENTALLY HAND ICAPPED CHILDREN AND TO EXCHANGE IDEAS ON THE SERVICES THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THEIR REHABILITATION, + HE SAID.
THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THAT A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH SHOULD BE ADOPTED IN REHABILITATING A HANDICAPPED PERSON. SUCH AN APPROACH ENHANCED A BETTER AWARENESS OF THE NEEDS OF THE DISABLED AND LED TO A BETTER CO-ORDINATED AND EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME FOR THEM.
THE WHITE PAPER, INTEGRATING THE DISABLED INTO THE COMMUNITY: A UNITED EFFORT, HAD PROPOSED A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT AND CARE SERVICE FOR THE HANDICAPPED CHILD.
+A WORKING PARTY WILL SHORTLY REPORT TO ME WITH PROPOSALS AS TO HOW SUCH ASSESSMENT AND CARE SHOULD BEST BE DEVELOPED,+ MR. HO SAIN
THIS REPORT WOULD THEN BE REFERRED FOR THE ADVICE OF THE REHABILITATION DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THESE SERVICES.
→THE PRESENCE OF MANY PROFESSIONALS OF VARIOUS DISCIPLINES TODAY WELL ILLUSTRATES YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE INTER-RELATED TEAM APPROACH IN REHABILITATING THE DISABLED CHILD, MR. HO SAID.
HE WAS PARTICULARLY HAPPY, HE SAID, TO SEE AMONG THE PANELLISTS A PARENT AND ALSO PARENTS IN THE AUDIENCE.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS WAS VITAL IN THE PRE-SCHOOL YEARS OF A CHILD, AND WAS EVEN MORE SO IN THE REHABILITATION OF A DISABLED CHILD.
/NO ASSESSMENT
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