Only 287 public places in Hong Kong to provide 46,000 special-needs children with vital therapy
Advocacy group calls on government to boost funding for training and rehabilitation services, to help reach more youngsters in need
Fewer than 300 places are available at Hong Kong’s public community centres to serve 46,000 special-needs schoolchildren in need of vital support services, a study by an advocacy group has revealed.
SEN Rights Association called on the government to boost spending on rehabilitation and training for youngsters above the age of six, to make the services more accessible, stable and affordable.
The study was released on Wednesday and came as a 52-year-old grandmother was arrested for the alleged murder on Sunday of her six-year-old grandson in Wan Chai. The child was suspected to have had special educational needs, raising concern about sufficiency of support services in Hong Kong.
The association found that 124 community centres provided public services for special-needs children last year, but that number fell to 119 this year. These centres collectively offered 287 places for activities including small-group training and speech therapy. For day-care services, only one place was available.
The slots were far from sufficient, the association said, for the estimated 46,075 children suffering from conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia.