Incorporate system to screen children for speech disorders

[sajiv]

MYSORE: A five-day workshop on "Speech Intelligibility" for special educators and schoolteachers began at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) here on Monday.

The workshop is being held under the Continuing Rehabilitation Education programme of the Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Swami Mukthidananda, correspondent, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE).

Swami Mukthidananda emphasised the importance of sensitising parents and educators on speech intelligibility which, he said, was very important for effective communication.

He also suggested the incorporation of a system to screen all schoolchildren for speech disorders so as to correct it at an early stage. He said teachers should be empowered to identify and correct speech disorders within the school system.

He was appreciative of the AIISH's efforts in taking steps to sensitise educators in this regard.

Girijamba, Superintendent, District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Mysore, offered collaboration to plan such training programmes for resource teachers. Vijayalakshmi Basavaraj, director, AIISH, highlighted various activities of the institute.

K.S. Prema, HOD, Department of Speech Language Science, said the objective of the workshop was to impart knowledge to special educators and schoolteachers on strategies and methods to develop clarity of speech in children. In all, 40 people from Dharwad, Kolar, Mandya, Bangalore and Mysore participated in the programme.