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Special Needs School takes development a step further
NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – Some parents are working towards taking the development of their children and the Diamond Special Needs School a step further.
Last week some parents of students attending the Diamond Special Needs and the David Rose Special Needs Schools along with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) officers visited the New Amsterdam Special Needs School.
Some of the participants during the exchange visit.
The parent support group of Diamond organized this activity.
President of the Parent Support Group of the Diamond Special Needs School Lynette De-Weever explained that the exchange visit was aimed at developing closer ties and sharing ideas and other skills.
According to her, many of the parents within the Diamond, East Bank of Demerara area are complacent and it is hoped that through such programmes they would lend more support and show more interest in the enhancement of not only the school but the development of the children as well.
At Diamond, like other special needs schools, there are students with hearing impairment, speech impediments and other physical disabilities along with the late developers due to a range of medical complications.
Ms. De-Weever believes that all is not lost with these children and this is based on her experience. According to her, each child is unique and all that is needed is love, patience, guidance and understanding for each to reach its potential.
This exchange visit is the first of its kind for the parent support group and is expected to be a regular feature with their program.
During the one-day visit to the New Amsterdam Special Needs School, two workshops were held. The topic was – ‘A better development plan for children with special needs’.
Other concerns raised at the function were the need for transportation, a nutritional school programme, and computers among other requirements at the Diamond Special Needs School.
One parent, Andrea Bollers, said it was her first experience at such a workshop and she found the programme helpful. She is the mother of an 11 year old who is said to be a late developer as a result of brain damage at birth.
This parent said from the inception she handled the situation with her child well and had over the years been offering assistance and advice to other parents in a similar position. When some parents do not readily accept help it can affect the general development of the children, she noted.
There is a computer room at the New Amsterdam Special Needs School but at Diamond there is none. The New Amsterdam facility also has a vibrant feeding programme for the children.
While the necessary documentation is being prepared both Ms. De-Weever and Ms. Bollers are appealing to corporate citizens to assist in fulfilling some of their needs.
The Diamond Special Needs School was established on February 12th, 1997 and is still yet to be discovered.
The Parent Support Group is making the necessary arrangements for collaboration with the Voluntary Service Overseas officers to produce a pamphlet aimed at boosting public awareness.
Ms. De-Weever pointed out that in some cases there are parents who are ashamed of their children with special needs and as such some of these children are treated like a burden. This is where the need for caregivers and parents support groups comes in to fill that void.
She said also, there is the need for media houses to play a greater role when it comes to sensitizing the public on the subject of special needs.
The absence of fathers in the lives of children with special needs was also highlighted. Many of the men play a rather small role in the development of the disabled children.
According to Ms. De-Weever, in the developed countries a lot of emphasis is placed on those with special needs, and as such facilities are provided for these persons regardless of age.
Prior to last week’s workshops a few parents and students of the New Amsterdam travelled to Diamond as part of their school’s educational tour.
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