Dyslexia remedy ‘‘with teachers’

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33034, 29 September 1972, Page 10

Dyslexia remedy ‘‘with teachers ’

Schoolteachers should be trained in screening tests so that they are aware of children who need special help or intensive diagnostic testing, according to Dr Jean Seabrook, a Christchurch psychologist who has just returned from a months’ study in Australia.

“In teachers’ colleges in New Zealand we have a strong programme of reading for ordinary children, and perhaps a more intensive programme should be implemented for remedial work,” she said. Dr Seabrook, who is a member of the Canterbury Dyslexia Association, received a grant from the McKenzie Educational Trust for her studies, in specific learning problems. “Wherever I went, the consensus was that there should be multi - disciplinary approach to the problem. Although it is basically an educational problem, it does involve others — doctors, audiologists and speech therapists,” said Dr Seabrook. "But it is the teachers who are the key people in teaching children to read and who should perhaps be aware of children who indicate that they may have difficulties later.”

At Armodale Teachers’ College a new community clinic — as an outpatients department in a hospital — had been opened for children and adults with dyslexia, she said. Diagnosis was done by a multi-disciplinary team and treatment given by university and teachers’ college students. Other schemes had been organised at teachers’ colleges in Sydney and Brisbane, and a New Zealander, Professor Marie Neale, professor of special education at Monash University, Melbourne, was doing research on learning disabilities. Dr Seabrook said that dur-

ing her absence from Christchurch, the Canterbury Dyslexic Association had begun evening classes for those of average intelligence who were unable to read. These are- being held at the Technical Institute, on Monday evenings.