|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 1 April 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Handy book on Development Disabilities Reviewed by Chandani Jayatilleke Children with Development Disabilities - A training guide for parents, teachers and care-givers by S. Venkatesan. Published by Sage Publications, New Delhi Disability is a condition to deal with utmost care. But only a few would really know the professional way to train and develop the skills of such persons, specially children. Therefore, there is a great need to have guide books for trainers and parents for concrete suggestions not only on what to train these children, but also how to train within their own homes. This book by S. Venkatesan is intended to serve that purpose. The book has six chapters spread over three sections: Introduction on Development Disabilities, Development and Standardisation of ACPC-DD and Assistance Guide for Training on ACPC-DD. The three chapters in Section A cover a wide range of impairments, disabilities and handicaps commonly seen in young children. This overview is meant to enable beginning students and parents of children with development disabilities to appreciate their manifestations, prevalence and characteristics. The importance of home-based training programs and the steps in carrying out such programs are also delineated. An agenda for carrying out problem-behaviour management programs is also included for those children who exhibit negative behaviour during skill training programs. Section B deals with the development and standardisation of an 'Activity Checklist for Preschool Children with Development Disabilities' (ACPC-DD). All teaching objectives and items included in the ACPC-DD are purported for teaching children below six years of age. The items are empirically validated and located along a hierarchical scale of development difficulty. They are worded in behavioral terms so that trainers can readily start working on the given goals for initiating changes in behaviour in their children. An elaborate glossary is enclosed at the end with a broad scheme and context under which target items are to be taught to infants, toddlers and preschoolers with development disabilities. Section C is an Active Assistance Guide (AAG) for care-givers on ACPC-DD. A practical, ready-to-use advisor type of approach has been endeavoured in writing this for trainers or care-givers of children with development disabilities. A portion of this section is also devoted to sensitize readers on contemporary trends, problems and issues relating to rights, immunities and privileges of persons with disabilities in India. The author says that in India, many parents of children with development disabilities get confused in the learning of their children's disability conditions. The crucial questions they would ask are 'What happens after that?', 'How do I deal with this special child now', 'What do I teach him now' or 'How do I program an effective home-based training program for my child who has an early developmental disability?'. Venkatesan's book would give comprehensive answers to these queries. Though its examples and experiences are based in India, the contents definitely are of much relevance to Sri Lanka. Perhaps the first book of its kind to be written in a South Asian setting, this training guide should be appreciated by professionals, students and all those giving care to children with developmental disabilities. S. Venkatesan is a Reader in the Department of Clinical Psychology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
