A STUDY in Cork has found that children in disadvantaged communities have more than four times the rate of speech delay experienced in advantaged communities. Yet, with special assistance under a pilot project, major advances have been made to help improve their linguistic skills.
The Glen Early Language and Learning Pilot Project found that 43 per cent of children entering two primary schools in the Glen on Cork’s northside presented with speech and/or language delays in differing degrees compared with an average of 10 per cent in more advantaged areas.
The project, which was carried out by the HSE South and Cork City Partnership Ltd, involved the establishment of a speech and language development programme for junior infant classes at St Brendan’s Girls School and St Mark’s Boys School, both in the Glen.
According to HSE South speech and language therapy manager, Ann Horgan, the project was in response to the need for extra attention to speech and language development among young children in the area, as identified by primary teachers and speech and language therapists.
The three-phase primary school project ran from September 2007 to June 2008 with a speech and language therapist carrying out assessment of the children before the start of the programme using an internationally recognised test.
The first phase, from September to December 2007, involved the speech and language therapist conducting a 70-minute session each week with the teacher in the classroom using a programme specially designed to meet the speech and language developments needs of the children.
In the second phase, from January to March 2008, the focus was on whole school language development where the speech and language therapist continued to support the junior infant teachers where required, and explained to them how to recognise speech and language problems.
In the third phase, from April to June 2008, the speech and language therapist conducted one-to-one phonology sessions, working on articulation with four children from each school where each child got five half-hour sessions.
The benefits of the project are that children have made significant gains in speech and language development, have had delays and disorders diagnosed at an early stage and have received specialised speech and language therapy if needed.
Ms Horgan said the report, which was launched yesterday by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, was important, given the well-established links which have been found to exist between literacy and economic development.
