Three in five parents with learning difficulties will have their children taken into care, charity estimates

More children are being placed in care

CHILDCARE experts say these parents would be better able to cope if they received more support.

AROUND three in five Scots parents with learning difficulties will have had their children taken into care, compared to just two in five parents in similar circumstances south of the Border.

Children's charities and officials are now demanding more research into the care system in Scotland.

An official from the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability warned Holyrood's Education and Culture committee that the figure in Scotland could be even higher.

And Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People Tam Baillie has also highlighted disparities in the general number of children taken into care across Scotland's 32 local authorities, with some councils removing more children than others with similar socio-economic profiles.

SCLD business and partnerships manager Andy Miller said: "Some estimates are even higher, at six out of 10 children (taken from) parents with learning disabilities.

"Our own view is that is too high. I don't know what the figures are for other vulnerable children who have parents with addiction or mental health problems. It might be equally high. It certainly feels high.

"Parents with learning difficulties find it really difficult to get the right support they need to parent, or even any support at all. We hold the view that with better support for parents, that number would drop significantly."

Mr Baillie told the committee there is a lack of consistency between care professionals and local authorities about the appropriate level of intervention.

He said: "Some of that can be accounted for by levels and concentrations of poverty, but not all of it.

"You will have councils with similar profiles, in terms of their socio-economic circumstances, who have got quite different rates of children being taken into a care or are being looked after.

"That begs the question of what else is going on there?"

"Resources play a large part in decision-making, but this is only part of the problem. Concerns about poor outcomes for children are reflected in various reports produced over the last decade and being aware of these poor outcomes will no doubt influence the decisions of professionals to move or not move children into care.

"Moreover, the availability of suitable placements and numbers of placement moves that some children are subjected to also impacts on decisions to remove children, in some cases when a move is needed.

"Decisions to remove should be led by the child's best interests and not by resources."

學障者從小被罵笨 心酸肚裡吞

新制身心障礙鑑定去年七月上路，首度將「學習障礙」中的閱讀及書寫困難納入鑑定範圍，為學障生的權益豎立里程碑。但民間團體觀察，社會對學障認知仍普遍不足，甚至有青年活到廿多歲才驚覺從小常被罵笨，原來是天生有學習障礙，想到過去遭受的挫折，忍不住與家人相互垂淚。

　學習障礙常被誤以為是智能障礙，事實不然。依鑑定基準，學障者的智商正常，還可能比一般人好，只因先天腦部功能受損，導致某些能力出現困難。最常見的是書寫和閱讀障礙，包括認字和拼字容易出錯，常跳行、跳字，寫字筆畫難以辨認等。其他障礙樣態如數學運算有障礙、聽不懂複雜指令或表達困難。

　國內未曾普查學習障礙者人數。根據教育部特教機制鑑定學障生，目前約有二萬八千名學生被通報學習障礙。此外，去年身障鑑定新制上路後，有八百多名六歲至十八歲的學習障礙者已完成鑑定。

　「實際人數絕對更多！」中華民國學習障礙協會常務理事郭馨美指出，學習障礙者智力正常，外表看不出來，是一種「隱性障礙」，因此當孩子頻繁寫錯字、聽不懂指令或閱讀能力低落，常被指責不用心、不認真、故意裝傻。

　廿四歲的Frederica感觸良多地說，小時候她寫字容易犯上下、左右顛倒的錯誤，有時得把書本拿到鏡子前照著，看著鏡中與現實不同的影像，她再反過來寫，才有辦法寫對。之後經過不斷練習、閱讀，或每次書寫完再三檢查，才漸漸減少錯誤。

　Frederica表示，求學階段最常被罵「笨」，直到念大學後接觸到相關知識，才發現自己有學習障礙，家人也恍然大悟。

　郭馨美觀察，還有些家長拒絕承認孩子是學習障礙者，因為明明「看起來很正常」，哪有什麼障礙？但家長一味給壓力，責怪孩子不用心，恐怕更打擊孩子信心，乾脆放棄努力。

陳錦鴻杜雯惠與兒子拍照呼籲正視自閉症兒童

陳錦鴻悉心照顧患有輕度自閉症的兒子陳駕樺，近日他與太太杜雯惠及兒子拍攝協康會宣傳照，呼籲大家正視及幫助自閉症兒童。

杜雯惠在微博說﹕「可能你會問，為何讓兒子影這相？這可會對他造成影響？他長大後見到這些標題會否難堪？如你們真有這樣的想法，那正正也是我們要做這事之原因。香港人對自閉症缺乏了解和認識，家長可能因子女有自閉傾向便惶恐沮喪無助，其實只要肯正視問題，對孩子多加關愛和耐心，再配合適當的照顧和訓練，他們一樣可以愉快地茁壯成長。我和丈夫甚至認為自閉症的孩子有很多優點和過人之處；父母們，一起努力吧！」鄭秀文、袁詠儀、伍詠薇、陳敏之均轉發表示支持。

停工三年醫愛兒

陳錦鴻兒子陳駕樺出生不久即被診斷患上自閉症，為貼身照顧兒子，錦鴻刻意減少幕前演出，直至兒子情況改善才宣布「復出」，到蘇州拍攝內地劇。離港前，錦鴻偕囝囝為協康會拍廣告，宣揚正視自閉症兒童的訊息，昨日他在長途電話中說：「呢個組織陪我同家人行咗一段路，一直支持我哋，佢哋今次嘅廣告主題好有意義，因為係呼籲身為爸爸嘅都要協力解決問題，所以一定要幫手。（擔心囝囝被標籤？）唔會，大家正視先可以有良好嘅互動嘛！好似以前精神病同情緒病好似好大件事咁，依家大家都開始識面對喇！」他透露停工主要是幫助囝囝增強語言能力，而囝囝現時已達標並入讀普通小學，令他深感欣慰！問到有否後悔犧牲事業，他說：「冇喎！好值得，呢種快樂前所未有。（幾時返無綫拍劇？）我隨時候命喎！」

談到囝囝的情況，他很開心地說：「o依家好咗好多，佢三歲幾連一句說話都講唔到，到o依家可以背三字經、千字文，又識字，對於我嚟講，佢能夠用說話去溝通，真係好重要。」杜雯惠亦在電話說：「今次係協康會邀請我哋，可能係陳錦鴻一直好樂觀面對，亦都好open咁話畀人聽，所以希望作為一個例子，話畀其他家長知道，唔好當係乜嘢一回事，可以好坦承咁去傾。」

文源：成报2013-05-4

SEN Job Posting

Position: ABA Therapist(Full-Time)

Company: P.L.A.I. Behaviour Consulting

P.L.A.I. is a perfect place for passionate individuals who are keen on developing a career in supporting children with special needs. We are currently looking for passionate individuals to join our expert team to provide family-centred support for families and schools.

P.L.A.I. specializes in using ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) to support children with behaviour problems, language delay, Autism, and/ or other developmental disabilities. We provide home-based intervention as well as school support for children from 2-12 years old. Our consultant designs an individualized behaviour support plan for each child we support. As an ABA therapist, you will be responsible in implementing the support plan under the supervision of our consultant. We will provide training in ABA when you join P.L.A.I. You will continue to receive training and support on the job. If you are interested in further in this field, P.L.A.I. is committed to support you by providing BCBA/ BCaBA supervision and subsidy for your BCBA/ BCaBA tuition. We would like to make sure that our staff continues to learn and advance their career. 

If you are interested in using behavioral intervention to improve lives of children and families, please click here to contact P.L.A.I.

Qualifications:
• Experience in working with children
• Bachelor degree in related field (e.g., Psychology, education, etc.)
• Master degree in related field will be an asset
• Must be interested in perusing or currently enrolled in a BCaBA/ BCBA program (for further information, please go to bacb.com)
• Able to work independently and with a team
• Fluent in English. Ability to speak and write in Cantonese or Mandarin will be an asset

北京舉行中國首屆薩提亞高峰論壇

  
首屆薩提亞高峰論壇22日在京開幕，來自海內外數十位薩提亞學者匯聚一堂，就薩提亞模式及其十年來在中國的發展和成就​​各抒己見。

在此次為期兩天的論壇上，國際著名薩提亞模式治療師和培訓師、美國懷俄明洲大學諮詢心理學博士約翰·貝曼等五位來自加拿大和美國的學者將就“幸福無需理由”等主題發表演講；數十位資深大陸及香港學者將分領四個論壇，討論一系列涉及個人及企業成長的話題，其中包括走進孩子的內心世界、親子依戀關係、為婚姻“保鮮”、外遇的預防與應對、成癮的背後、幸福企業的要素和由內而外的影響力等。 

薩提亞模式創立於上世紀50年代，其創始人佛吉尼亞·薩提亞女士是第一代家庭治療師，被譽為“家庭治療的哥倫布”。薩提亞模式溫暖而正向，著重於提高人的自尊、改善人際溝通、激發人們的生命能量。其理念“Peace within,Peace between,Peace among” (“內在和諧、人際和睦、世界和平”) 被認為和中國文化的“修身、齊家、治國、平天下”十分相似。 

致力於引進薩提亞模式的薩提亞(中國)學習與應用發展中心 (又名齊家盛業) 走過了默默耕耘、執著追求的十年。從十年前首次課程僅有16位親朋好友支持，到今天學員慕名而來排隊等候；從最初一年開設幾個工作坊，到每年舉辦幾十個工作坊，內容涉及個人成長、和諧關係、企業應用、專業助人四大領域。與此同時，薩提亞模式的專業性和有效性得到了越來越廣泛的認可，十年來相關機構已從北京發展到全國20多個城市，與香港、台灣同仁和組織亦建立起良好的交流合作關係。

 近年來中心還積極推出和參與了一系列專業公益項目和社會公益活動：2008年汶川地震期間，為赴地震前線的心理工作者做心理輔導、持續開展精神殘疾人及家屬共同成長課程、組織大型“家庭教育論壇”、大力支持“北京市民辦幼兒園管理者培訓”、2012年創立大陸首屆培訓本土薩提亞高級導師項目、2011、2012年連續兩年被授予“國家自主創新示範區年度心理諮詢服務獎”等。 


正如中心創始人魏敏女士在論壇致辭中所說，薩提亞模式在近十年中國心理學發展中佔有一席之​​地，它為社會變革中的人們提供了溫暖而有力的心理支持。

20100615-19 Satir World Conference 2010 in Hong Kong
20111009-10 薩提爾模式的台灣經驗研討會

New Lenses Provide Relief For Dyslexia Sufferers

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) – Ground-breaking new technology is in sight for those suffering from dyslexia.

Eye doctors say you could have 20-20 vision and still not be able read the words on the page, but new eyeglasses are bringing life-changing results to young and old.

Chloe Broyles, 10, doesn’t see words like most people do.

“The vowels would just pop up and the other words would just shrink,” said Chloe.

It made things so difficult for Chloe that she didn’t even want to read in school.

“I would start to get dizzy, get frustrated,” she said.

Her grades began to suffer as a result.

“She was spiraling down. She was getting Fs. We didn’t know what we were going to do,” said Chloe’s mother Jessica Broyles.

Chloe’s vision was 20-20, but a visit to Dr. Thomas Swanson in Roseville made everything clear. Chloe has dyslexia, a problem with no real solution, until now.

ChromaGen lenses are a brand new technology now available for the first time in Northern California.

“They were able to alter the wavelength of light that is entered in the eye, and it made the brain all of a sudden see better,” said Swanson.

Using the colors, the lenses block out certain wavelengths from entering the eyes so they both can agree.

“The brain now doesn’t have to struggle. Everything just stands out normal to them,” said Swanson. “It was really amazing. When I first heard this I was really skeptical.”

A study found that out of 150 students, 72 percent could read better with the lenses. Linda Johnson has been unknowingly living with dyslexia for 60 years.

“I was frustrated in school. I cried all the time. I couldn’t comprehend things. I felt stupid,” she said.

She says the lenses changed her life.

“When I put the glasses on, I can just take a deep breath,” said Johnson.

In the first three months after getting her lenses, Chloe jumped three grade levels in reading and now doesn’t mind picking up a good book.