XN000022-1979-04-10 — Page 4

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1979

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SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PRIMARY ONE POPULATION

HAVE HEARING PROBLEMS

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SIX TO SEVEN PER CENT OF THE PRIMARY ONE SCHOOL POPULATION HAVE HEARING IMPAIRMENT OF VARYING DEGREES, ACCORDING TO MRS. EVA KWAN, SENIOR INSPECTOR (SPECIAL EDUCATION) OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

MRS. KWAN SAID THIS TODAY (TUESDAY) AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST WHERE SHE GAVE A TALK ON +HELPING THE HEARING IMPAIRED CHILD A UNITED EFFORT.+

SPEAKING OF THE DEPARTMENT'S AUDIOMETRIC SCREENING PROGRAMMES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS WHICH STARTED IN 1968 AND WHERE OVER 140,000 PRIMARY ONE PUPILS HAD BEEN SCREENED SINCE, MRS. KWAN SAID:

+BY 1981-82 WE AIM TO PROVIDE 100 PER CENT AUDIOMETRIC SCREENING FOR ALL PRIMARY ONE PUPILS, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO NUMBER 90,000 EACH YEAR.

+FAILURES FROM THE SCREENING TESTS ARE GIVEN A DETAILED AUDIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES CENTRES OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, FOLLOW-UP TESTS ARE ALSO GIVEN, INCLUDING REFERRALS TO THE GOVERNMENT EAR, NOSE AND THROAT UNIT.

+FOR HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN FROM SIX MONTHS TO 20 YEARS, FREE REMEDIAL SERVICES ARE ALSO PROVIDED.

+THESE INCLUDE THE ISSUE OF AND GUIDANCE ON THE USE OF HEARING AIDS, SPEECH AND AUDITORY TRAINING, PARENT GUIDANCE AND EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT, AS WELL AS PERIPATETIC TEACHING SERVICE.

+HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN, MAINLY OF PRE-SCHOOL AGE, ALSO RECEIVE REGULAR TRAINING IN COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND SPEECH AND AUDITORY TRAINING SESSIONS, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR IN SMALL GROUPS, AT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES CENTRES, MRS. KWAN SAID.

SOME HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN, AGED SIX TO 14, ARE PLACED IN SPECIAL CLASSES FOR PARTIALLY HEARING CHILDREN IN ORDINARY SCHOOLS. THERE ARE 24 OF THESE SPECIAL CLASSES IN GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND FOUR IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS. EACH CLASS ACCOMMODATES 10 PUPILS AND IS TAUGHT BY SPECIALLY TRAINED TEACHERS.

*THE CURRICULUM OF THE ORDINARY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IS CLOSELY FOLLOWED SO AS TO ENCOURAGE THESE CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE EDUCATIONALLY AND SOCIALLY IN A HEARING ENVIRONMENT.

+THE SUCCESS OF THESE CLASSES AND THE INTEGRATION OF HEARING IMPAIRED CHILDREN, HOWEVER, DEPENDS MUCH ON THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THESE CHILDREN BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC, HENCE THE CO-OPERATION AND CO-ORDINATION OF EFFORT AND SERVICES BETWEEN THE HEARING AND THE HEARING IMPAIRED IN AND OUT OF SCHOOLS.+ SHE SAID.

/THE MORE