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URGENT APPEAL FOR SIX YEAR OLD DENCIA DENIS IS LAUNCHED ON 25 MARCH 2006 - PLEASE SEE HERE FOR FULL DETAILS
REVIEW
The St Lucia Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (SLADD) is almost entirely responsible for the systemised care and guidance of disabled children in the north of St Lucia. Unfortunately, disabilities are still seen as something of a stigma in St Lucia, so the SLADD was founded to challenge these views and give disabled children a chance to fulfil their potential. The charity acts as an umbrella organisation to allocate the funds it receives to three different outlets.
The first of these is Dunnottar School which provides specialist tuition for children who are mentally and physically challenged. The second is the Child Development and Guidance Center (CDGC) which identifies, assesses and treats children with developmental disabilities. The third is the Dunnottar Vocational Centre (DVC) that looks to develop their clients into self-sufficient persons, aware of their position within the Island and able to find suitable employment.
The Global Movement for Children, launched in St Lucia in 2002 admonishes: ‘Leave No Child Out’ and Prime Minister Anthony declared 2003 ‘The Year of the Child’ but the running of Dunnottar School, CDGC & DVC are certainly not covered by the Government of St. Lucia.
Although most of the staff are paid through the Ministry of Education and SLADD does receive a subvention from the Government, it is not enough to cover all salaries and day to day expenses. This means that the education and guidance of the lucky ones that are able to attend the School, DVC or CDGC, is partly funded by SLADD.
‘Children are our tomorrow, and must be given the chance to fulfil their potential, no matter how difficult it is to realise.’
Please see below for Ways to Donate to SLADD. You may also contact the charity via the telephone link above or go to the CDGC website. |
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Ways to Donate
Ad hoc donations are immensely valuable as they allow SLADD to build up a pool of resources for specific projects. And, should an emergency arise there would hopefully always be a fund to tap into. Please GIVE GENEROUSLY TO:
First Caribbean International Bank
Bridge Street
PO Box 335/336
Castries, St. Lucia
Account name: SLADD
Account number: 106389176
Phone: (758) 456 1000
USD50/GBP25 would provide 1/3 of the monthly salary for a classroom assistant or teacher's aid. Some of the classes at Dunnottar require a classroom assistant in order to accommodate more children in a class. These salaries are not covered by Government, but would allow for more children could be taken off the waiting list.
However, it is not so much the amount that is important, rather the regularity of it, as planning strategies for a child’s development is clearly much easier when you know how much funding is available!
A Direct Debit allows SLADD to predict what donations are coming in and therefore what projects they can delegate certain funds to in the future.
USD $10/GBP £5 a month allows one child to benefit from the stimulation of a supervised extra curricular activity once a week. An art or dance class or even martial arts training provides a totally 'out of the box' experience that is vital for widening every child's outlook on life.
So, please use the weblink, telephone number or email address above to contact a member of SLADD or contact the CDGC directly here. |
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History
SLADD, formerly The St. Lucia Association for Retarded Children, was founded in 1973 and opened its Special Education Center in September of that year. In 1975 the school moved to Dunnottar House and Dunnottar School was officially opened in October that year. It caters for 48 students, with eleven teachers and three classroom assistants.
The Child Development and Guidance Center (CDGC) was established in 1998 to provide, through a team of health professionals, previously unavailable multi-disciplinary developmental assessments and treatment for children aged 0 to 16 years. It is a registered non profit organisation run by volunteers.
In March 2005 the CDGC was able to expand into a new building co-located with SLADD, which has allowed for much needed therapy for many children with developmental delays in St Lucia. Having all three outlets on the same compound allows SLADD to share a physiotherapist.
The Dunnottar Vocational Centre (DVC) was opened in July 1981 to cater for older children and young adults who could no longer be housed at Dunnottar School. At present it houses 26 clients and four teachers. The school & workshop also have the services of a part time PE teacher, part time music teacher, receptionist, cook and cleaner. |
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Objectives
Dunnottar School – empowering for the future - aims to provide a base platform for the tuition and care of persons with developmental disabilities. The School does this by providing education and skills training for children and young adults with varying disabilities so as to enable them to become as independent as possible. Students are normally referred by the CDGC, and go onto the Vocational Centre where possible.
Dunnottar currently houses 48 students aged between 6 - 16 years. There are also three students integrated into a regular primary school with a special education teacher from Dunnottar School. Common disabilities include; Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Mentally Challenged Children, and various learning Disabilities.
The Child Development and Guidance Centre – moving towards an independent future – provides early health care intervention to assist children in developing to their fullest potential. Most children are being referred by the community paediatrician Dr Bird or the Community Child Health clinics, where nurses provide basic developmental screening for all children in St Lucia.
Problems frequently identified at the CDGC are developmental delays and disabilities, learning disabilities, speech and language disorders, autism spectrum disorders and cerebral palsy.
The Dunnottar Vocational Centre – preparing for the future - aims to provide services for children and young adults with developmental disabilities, which will allow them to build on what they have gained from the School, giving them the opportunity to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
Clients of the Dunnottar Vocational Centre must be between 16 – 25 years old and should have attended the Dunnottar School prior to graduating to the vocational workshop. |
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Programmes
Dunnottar School:
Dunnottar provides skills acquisition in; speech and language, motor coordination, self help, socialisation, cognition and pre-vocational areas. Dance, Music, Art, Drama and Physical Education are integral parts of the curriculum.
SLADD employs a part time music teacher who works with all students. The school band has performed at the ‘Schools Music Festival’ staged by the Ministry of Education. One student, Shervaugn George, has learned to play the Steel Pan extremely well and has been awarded a scholarship to the St Lucia School of Music. (see Case Studies)
For the past three years Dunnottar has participated in the ‘Artlink’ programme which pairs schools from around the world with schools in the USA. Artwork from each school is submitted to creative connections who select the best pieces for an International Children’s Art Exhibition. In 2004 a piece by Danny Billy (aged 12) was chosen and the year before Leran Alphonse (aged 13) produced the lucky selection.
Dunnottar also has a part time Physical Education teacher. Each year they have a school sports meet and participate in the Special Schools Sports Meet and The Sports Meet for Regular Schools in their district. They have a cricket team and last year began a Learn to Swim Programme.
At the beginning of 2005 the mobile dental unit from the Ministry of Health was housed at Dunnottar school, giving all the students from the School and Vocational Center a thourough check up and aftercare.
The Child Develpoment and Guidance Centre (CDGC):
The CDGC provides comprehensive, ongoing assessment and diagnosis for all children with physical, mental, emotional or behavioural problems in St Lucia. It develops, implements and reviews intervention programs geared to the individual needs of each child. These include Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Early Stimulation.
In addition to the treatment for children it provides parental support, counselling and training so that what goes on in a therapy session can be built upon at home, and that the parent recognises the special nature of their child.
The CDGC trains volunteers and other persons in the community, such as Community Health Aides and Pre-School teachers, and provides follow up visits to children with special needs within the community.
In connection with similar organisations on the Island, the CDGC liaises with the St Lucia Blind Welfare Association’s programme for children with multiple disabilities, provides individual reports on each assessment for parents and referring professionals and keeps up-to-date and easily accessible records and statistics for future inspection. |
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Achievements
Dunnottar Vocational Centre
GRADUATING CLASS OF 2003
Melissa Francis (JQ’s Supermarket)
Vernessa Joseph (JQ’s Supermarket)
Dolina Avril (Caribelle Batik)
Kevin Myers (Caribelle Batik)
Owen Gills (Elwin’s Supermarket)
Rosemary Francis (Self Employed – Pastry Maker)
Stephen Lucas (Self Employed – Shopkeeper)
Alexander Mc Lawrence (Self Employed – Poultry Farmer)
Also:
Five clients have secured landscaping jobs for the year 2002-2003 (these clients still work from DVC under supervision, they have not graduated). Three clients are working in a local supermarket, two more are working in a textiles shop, one is a self-employed pastry maker, one is a self-employed shopkeeper and another is a self-employed poultry farmer.
The Vocational Centre has also organized a Special Olympic Cricket team, a volleyball and soccer team that plays against teams from other special schools, started a laundry program in 2003 and continues to highlight client achievement in the media. Five children learned to swim last year and one teacher is now a certified swimming instructor. |
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Needs
Dunnottar School:
1. A new facility is desperately needed. There is limited wheelchair access and no bathroom facilities on the lower level. There are also over 30 children on the waiting list, whilst others try to survive in the local school where they are not receiving the special attention they need.
2. Funds for those that can’t afford to travel in. Wyatte Garnet was nine years old when he started at Dunnottar School in September 2002. Before that time, he had been to two Summer Camps. He has severe global delay, but has shown great improvement. In February 2004 the pre-school that his mother worked at closed down – so she can no longer afford the money to send Wyatte to school.
3. More teachers’ aides.
CDGC:
Full-time Paediatric Speach and Language Therapist and/or Occupational Therapist. Presently St Lucia does not have positions for paediatric therapists and the CDGC relies on visiting therapists to provide the necessary intervention for more than 300 children identified with developmental delays and disabilities. Staff training is vital but not always accessible.
It is interesting to note that though it has been in existence for years, providing services that should fall under St Lucia's health agenda, the CDGC has not received any subventions from the Government up to date, and its Director Dr Brigitte Schüling receives no salary for her services. The future of the Centre remains uncertain until it is recognised as a legitimate part of St Lucia’s health services and as such, receives financial support.
Förderverein Villa Kunterbunt, a fundraising organisation founded in Germany in 1998 and named after a children’s book by Astrid Lindgren, has provided the major financial support for the CDGC in the past. The long term goal is to see the CDGC being run by a well trained St Lucian professional fully supported by the Ministries of Health and Education. |
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Case Studies
Shervaughn George is a mentally challenged young man. He is a student at Dunnottar School, who rarely utters more than a few words at a time. He is also a highly talented steel pan player, who recently won a scholarship to the St Lucia School of Music.
Imran Vitalis, age 12 – Student at Dunnottar School
Imran is a lively little boy who suffers from a mild form of Cerebral Palsy. CP, as it is commonly referred to, is brain damage caused during birth or in the first few years of life resulting in varying degrees of loss of muscular control and coordination, and with Imran, learning disabilities.
In Imran’s case, the physical effects are tightness on the right side of his body, making it hard for him to coordinate his limb movements on that side. He requires the use of special shoes to help keep his leg in the right position. These shoes have been provided by the Centre. Prior to receiving therapy, Imran had a very limited vocabulary, difficulty focusing, he could not dress himself, write letters, or draw basic shapes.
By the second camp, Imran had begun to learn new words, was more able to fix his attention on a task, could pull clothes on (but not button), and started drawing lines and basic shapes. Currently, Imran is able to identify letters in his name, has a broader vocabulary (though he still has difficulty putting meaning and order to some of the words he has learned) can button his clothes, and tie a lace.
Josiah was referred to the CDGC at the age of 5 years 6 months. He has hydrocephalus and a severe global delay. At that time he had very poor attention, did not respond to his name, did not make eye contact and had no expressive language. He received some physiotherapy and speech and language therapy and was enrolled at Dunnottar School in September 2000, at the age of 7 years. At that time, Josiah could not walk well, was unable to feed or dress himself independently and was not fully toilet trained. Josiah makes very slow progress, but having spent 3 and a half years at Dunnottar School and attended a CDGC summer camp where he received intensive Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy Josiah is now toilet trained and can feed and dress himself. He is also able to do simple puzzles, thread beads on a string and pour himself a glass of water. Josiah understands and follows simple instructions. |
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Staff
Dunnottar School:
Elaine Clement came to St. Lucia in 1986 as a VSO physiotherapist at one of the local hospitals. Elaine met her husband and never returned to England! She moved to the hospital in Castries in 1989 and worked at Dunnottar School in their Early Stimulation Programme one morning a week. Elaine got involved in SLADD around the same time and was Secretary of the Association for many years. Elaine is still a member of the board.
In September 1998 Elaine started working part time at the CDGC and in January 2000 was employed by the Ministry of Education as a Physiotherapist attached to special schools in St. Lucia. Elaine recently completed an 8 week training course in 2004 for treatment of children with cerebral palsy & allied conditions. The course was funded by CDGC, National Community Foundation and SLADD.
CDGC
Dr Brigitte Schüling is the founder and director of the CDGC. A German-born Paediatrician, Dr Schüling has a keen interest in child development and has helped to raise awareness about problems in infants and children on the island. She has trained nurses and Community Health Aides for the Ministry of Health. She also assists the Ministry of Education as a Special Needs Assessor, providing assessments for children in mainstream schools island wide.
Recently, Dr Schuling and the Minister of Health Hon. Damian Greaves agreed that the CDGC should come under the Ministries of Health and Education, and be staffed by fully qualified St Lucians. But Dr Schuling says that ‘until such time that a Coordinator is appointed for the programme at the Ministerial/National level – the future of the CDGC remains very much in doubt.’ |
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Getting Involved
If you have any of the items on the Wish List, or fancy a secondment to the School (with the necessary qualifications and experience!) please do contact Carolyn Archibald by email at Dunnottar School, who will happily discuss shipping/teaching arrangements.
Volunteer Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists are very much in demand in St Lucia, but you must have previous paediatric experience and the necessary qualifications. Please contact Dr Schuling by email at the CDGC for further information. |
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This feature page is sponsored by DefinitiveCaribbean. We hope you will give generously to this wonderful charity that does so much to help the less fortunate children of St Lucia. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact or deal with the SLADD. Thank you for your interest. |
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_edited_normal.jpg "Dunnottar School, child charity organization")
_edited_normal.jpg "Stimulation at Dunnottar School, SLADD")
_edited_normal.jpg "Children From Dunnottar School Settling Down For Class")
_edited_normal.jpg "Movement classes stimulate the children through progress at the DVC")
_edited_normal.jpg "Graduation ceremony - Dunnottar Vocational Centre")
_edited_normal.jpg "Shervaughn recently won a scholarship to the St Lucia School of Music")
_edited_normal.jpg "Dunnottar is part of SLADD, disabled child charities")
