Challenges for deaf children

Press, 19 May 1981, Page 12

Challenges for deaf children

, Too many deaf children miss an adequate and stimulating education, according to a . visiting British expert in .the assessment of handicapped children,’Mr-M. Shul- t berg? ( •7 ‘ Mr Shulberg, director of a consultancy service in London . for hearing-impaired people was in-' Christchurch to addreess a .meeting of . the Federation for Deaf, Chil-; dten, i ’■ ? . •- < The .twin “enemies” of the deaf child, were low expectation of educational performance’ and the fact that it might; be fitted with totally inappropriate hearing aids and other types of technical help!: ’ • ' “Based on what I have witnessed here and in many other parts of the world I would estimate that between 70 and 75 per cent of hear-ing-impaired children simply do not have the correct type of hearing aid,” Mr Shulberg said.

Detailed professional assessment of the type of aid appropriate for individual children was vital. “What is suitable for one Child may be totally inappropriate for, another,’* he ’ ,said. . “We live in a technological age and a wide range of help is available, but the proper type of assistance is not . always given.” t ’- - i Mr Shulberg said that too often hearing-impaired children were “written off” because parents and some teachers thought they could not achieve high educational standards. , ... > > /“Far too often deaf cttil-; dren and . those with other communication handicaps are simply not getting stimulation from someone willing to talk with them, to show that people do care. It is just too easy to tum your back and walk away when there is a communication difficulty.” Mr Shulberg said he was a

“determined advocate” for the integration of handicapped children in the ordinary school system. Only through such learning could the fullest development' of handicapped children and those who were not handicapped be achieved. . ’ ; “isolation does not solve; any problems/ It simply; creates more.”/ ’ ..

!< Bringing handicapped :childrert into the Ordinary school environment required a parallel effort in the community to establish a better under- 1 standing of-the natur& <of disability, he said. ;>• • -Once this ' understanding was‘established the potential of ‘ handicapped children could be properly tapped; “It takes a lot of caring, a lot of hard work and a great deal of courage as well as adventurous professional support. You have a fine start to it here in New Zealand but there is still much to do.”