DR Morag Clark talked to the Hereford and The Marches Branch of the Aircrew Association about her work with deaf children. Members and guests were enthralled by her description of consultancy work promoting the auditory approach to the education of totally deaf youngsters.
Ranging from Japan to Equador her freely given expertise, gained from the principal-ship of a British school for deaf children, is helping overseas children and teachers.
Dr Clark praised modern technology and said that cochlea implants, now much miniaturised, enabled children to speak more clearly.
Worldwide, one in each thousand children were born deaf. In Britain, routine hearing tests were carried out at birth in 27 hospitals. Implants had been placed in an eleven-month old baby. The earlier the treatment, the earlier the speech, provided correct parental guidance was given. In some poorer countries, especially where multilingual conversation was used, extra care was needed.
Video illustrations of parents teaching their deaf children in South Africa, Singapore and Equador were shown as evidence of successful implants, giving children better chances of independence, privacy and choice. The latter was essential for employment opportunities.
The next meeting of this Aircrew Association Branch will be on April 28. New members, whose sole qualification is to have been awarded a verifiable military flying brevet, will be welcomed.
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