XN000022-1988-05-31 — Page 8

7

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988

IDENTIFY,

EARLY

AS

CAN BE OR

"THE EMPHASIS OF THIS PROGRAMME IS ON EARLY DIAGNOSIS, INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION AND ITS MAJOR OBJECTIVE IS ΤΟ AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, PUPILS WHO HAVE SENSORY OR LEARNING PROBLEMS WELL AS PUPILS WHO ARE 'AT-RISK', SO THAT REMEDIAL MEASURES TAKEN IN TIME TO PREVENT THESE PROBLEMS FROM BECOMING PERMANENT EDUCATIONAL HANDICAPS,

HE SAID.

SERIOUS

THE SCREENING PROGRAMME HAD TAKEN 20 YEARS TO DEVELOP, AND A UNIQUE PROGRAMME THAT HAD HELPED THOUSANDS OF PUPILS TO

WAS

HAPPILY IN SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY HAD

STUDY MORE BEEN GIVEN EARLY OVERCOME THEIR SENSORY OR LEARNING PROBLEMS.

ASSISTANCE ΤΟ

FRIMARY

AND THE

"EVERY YEAR WE SEND TEAMS OF EXPERIENCED STAFF TO ALL SCHOOLS TO GIVE SCREENING TESTS TO THE PUPILS AT PRIMARY I LEVEL WE HAVE DEPLOYED 44 PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND SOME $14 MILLION ΤΟ RUNNING OF THIS PROJECT," HE SAID.

I

THE COMBINED SCREENING PROGRAMME COVERED OVER 80,000 PRIMARY PUPILS IN 1986-87, OF WHOM FIVE PER CENT WERE FOUND TO HAVE EYESIGHT PROBLEMS, 6.5 PER CENT TO HAVE HEARING PROBLEMS, 5.8 PER CENT TO SPEECH PROBLEMS AND 6.6 PER CENT TO

HAVE HAVE LEARNING PROBLEMS, MR SAID.

LI

"THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMME RELIES VERY MUCH ON THE CLOSE CO- OPERATION OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND, AND OTHER

MEDICAL AGENCIES WHO HAVE ASSISTED ONE WAY OR PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE TO OUR PUPILS,"

AND

HE SAID.

WELFARE

ANOTHER IN

SUCH AS

DETAILED

"SPECIALIST STAFF FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AUDIOLOGISTS, EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS, SPEECH THERAPISTS AND DOCTORS FROM THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT AND FOLLOW-UP SERVICES.'"

tr

CITING EXAMPLES, MR LI SAID PUPILS WITH WOULD RECEIVE FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT AND RELATED CLINICS RUN BY THE GOVERNMENT OR VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.

EYESIGHT

SERVICES IN

PROBLEMS EYE

PUPILS THOUGHT TO HAVE HEARING PROBLEMS WOULD BY AUDIOLOGISTS OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND, FITTED WITH HEARING AIDS AND SPECIALLY MADE EARMOULDS.

BE GIVEN TESTS IF REQUIRED,

BE

AND FOR

"THOSE WITH SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PROBLEMS WILL RECEIVE INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT FOLLOWED BY SPEECH THERAPY SERVICES CHILDREN WITH LEARNING PROBLEMS, ASSESSMENT IS GIVEN BY OUR EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL PLACEMENT OR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, HE SAID.

D

"IN ADDITION,