SPEECH AND language therapists are not a dime a dozen in Jamaica. In fact, there are only four such professionals in the island - all in private practice. That is why the Jamaican Association on Mental Retardation (JAMR) is elated at having the services of Heather Daley, a speech therapist from England.
Ms. Daley's arrival in Jamaica, in September 2005, to fill a gap at the JAMR and government-operated special education schools, was made possible by the Commonwealth Secretariat through the Planning Institute of Jamaica and continuous advocacy on the part of the JAMR itself.
Ms. Daley is assigned for two years as a volunteer to the JAMR by the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Grace Duncan, the association's executive director, says Ms. Daley is currently passing on her skills to teachers within the special education schools network, government schools and special agencies.
NEED FOR DIRECT INTERVENTION
According to Ms. Duncan, statistics show that more than 60 per cent of children with mental retardation - now internationally referred to as intellectual disability - have speech challenges that will require direct intervention to correct or improve their speech or communication skills.
The organisation feels that one of the best methods of coordinating this direct intervention is through parents, who, according to Dr. Polly Howell, a vice-president of the association, are a crucial part of the process of developing speech and language skills in their special needs children. She says parents are being sensitised to the role they can play in developing these skills in their special needs children. Dr. Howell says early assessment and intervention can prevent or mitigate retardation. This, then, is the rationale behind this year's staging of the JAMR's Parenting Conference under the theme, 'Parents: The First Teachers'.
YEAR-LONG ACTIVITIES
The event, slated for Saturday, January 28, at the Girl Guides Association Headquarters in Kingston, marks the start of year-long activities celebrating the JAMR's 50th anniversary. Through a series of sessions, parents from all across the country will interact with their counterparts, volunteers and professionals to share experiences and gain information about raising children particularly those with an intellectual disability.
Presentations will be made by Dr. Sharon Johnson, director of Help for Parents, and Heather Daley, speech and language therapist. During the conference children will be entertained at a nearby location, while their parents will be involved in activities, including speech and language therapy workshops.
The association, in collaboration with the Government and other agencies, continues to improve and expand opportunities for this population. Throughout the years there have been vast improvements in the access to education and the facilities available for persons with intellectual disabilities.
