New Hong Kong clinic promises swifter help for pupils with special needs
Research centre aims to breach a gap in the city by providing fast and affordable screening services
A HK$10 million research centre to assist the increasing number of students with special needs in Hong Kong officially opened its doors to the public on Saturday.
The Integrated Centre of Wellbeing, also known as I-WELL, at the Hong Kong Institute of Education in Tai Po, aims to ensure that children get the early intervention they need.
With over 30 professionals and the most advanced equipment in Hong Kong for screening and assessing students, the centre’s main focus will be children under six and primary pupils, although it is also prepared to provide support to secondary students and adults.
Among the equipment available is an Articulagraph, which records the speed and range of a child’s lip and tongue movement. The test can help a speech therapist make a better assessment of a patient that might suffer from conditions like dyslexia and Down’s syndrome.
“The idea is to associate the clinical diagnosis along with these tools to check if the intervention is effective and if a kid is doing better,” said Savio Wong Wai-ho, associate head of the institute’s Department of Special Education and Counselling.