XN000022-1989-11-17 — Page 3

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FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 17. 1989

EARLY TRAINING FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IMPORTANT

LADY WILSON SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) THERE CLEARLY IS A NEED FOR EARLY TRAINING FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND SERVICES SHOULD BE PROVIDED WHENEVER THIS NEED IS IDENTIFIED. AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

SHE WAS SPEAKING AT THE HEEP HONG SOCIETY FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN'S SYMPOSIUM ON "WORKING WITH YOUNG HANDICAPPED CHILDREN THE WAY AHEAD".

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LADY WILSON SAID SHE WAS GLAD TO LEARN THAT WITH THE ANTICIPATED EXPANSION RATE OF NEW SERVICE UNITS. IT WAS HOPED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT PLACES FOR CHILDREN IN THE SPECIAL CHILD CARE CENTRES AND EARLY EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRES BY 1991 OR 1992 AT THE LATEST.

"SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO DRAWING UP PLANS TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE MILDLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN WAITING FOR PLACEMENT INTEGRATED PROGRAMMES IN CHILD CARE CENTRES.

IN

"HEEP HONG SOCIETY ITSELF IS PLANNING A PARENT EDUCATION AND RESOURCE CENTRE TO ENABLE PARENTS TO LEARN MORE, SO THAT THEY CAN HELP THEIR CHILDREN MORE EFFECTIVELY, -- SHE SAID.

HAD

HANDICAPPED

LADY WILSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR BEEN WORKING CLOSELY TO PROMOTE SERVICES FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN.

SAID.

"THIS KIND OF CO-OPERATION IS SOMETHING WE ARE PROUD OF," SHE

THE WORKING PARTY ON PRE-SCHOOL CARE EDUCATION AND TRAINING, FORMED IN 1982. WAS AN INDICATION OF THIS CO-OPERATION, A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE SERVICES WAS CONDUCTED SUBSEQUENTLY, AND MANY VALUABLE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GUIDELINES WERE LAID.

IN FACT, MOST OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE 1987. THERE IS. HOWEVER. STILL MUCH TO BE DONE." SH!

LADY WILSON SAID WE WERE NOW MOVING NEEDS. AND IT WAS TIME WE DEVOTED OUR QUALITY OF WORK.

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SAID.

CLOSER TO MEETING BASIC EFFORTS TO IMPROVING THE

I AN WELL AWARE, AS I SAID, THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY HAVE PROVIDED USEFUL GUIDELINES FOR SERVICES AND THAT MOST OF THE SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN ACTED UPON," SHE SAID.

PRE-SCHOOL REHABILITATION SERVICES WERE GROWING FAST AND SHE HOPED THAT THE IDEAS WHICH CAME OUT OF THE WORKING PARTY COULD BE DEVELOPED FURTHER.

'WE MUST CONTINUE TO THINK OF NEW IDEAS. AND HAS BEEN DONE IN OTHER COUNTRIES. SHE ADDED.

LEARN FROM WHAT

/LADY WILSON