Integrated Programme in Child Care Centre - District-based Speech Therapy Service

Objectives
District-based Speech Therapy Service aims to provide speech therapy service to disabled children with speech or communication impairment enrolled in Integrated Programme in Child Care Centre (IP) with a view to facilitating their social rehabilitation and future educational needs.

Target groups
	Children with speech impairment and attending IP
	Parents
	Staff of child care centres serving IP

Service mode
Given that each IP unit in a child care centre only has a very small capacity of six places and that the centres are widely distributed over the territory, child care centres with IP units are grouped into eight clusters by location. One district-based speech therapy team (DSTT) run by a subsidised non-governmental organization, is set up in each cluster. Through the concerted efforts of the DSTT and child care centres in the cluster, professional services are provided to meet the needs of children attending IP.

The service is mainly rendered by speech therapists who provide periodic on-site service by appointment to the child care centres. As an enhancement to the speech therapy services, DSTTs also provide service in their district-based offices and other training sites.

Features of the service Services provided by DSTTs include:
	Periodic clinical visits to child care centres;
	Speech therapy training to children in need individually or in groups;
	Periodic review on the progress of training programmes; and
	Consultation service to parents and child care centre staff, loan service of relevant training materials and organisation of educational programmes.

On the training approaches, besides providing direct demonstration and instructions in the training sessions, therapists also adopt an interactive training mode to give young children more opportunities of expression in order to achieve various training goals effectively. Speech therapists will keep close contact with the parents and child care centre staff and invite the parents to take part in the children¡¦s individual training. This would facilitate the parents and staff to grasp the skills in language training and to follow up the training programmes at home or in class.

Service charge: Free of charge

Enquiry: Enquiries can be made to relevant DSTTs via respective child care centres, or through the SWD hotline at 2343 2255.

Download: DSTT Team 1-8