A new task for speech therapist

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 302, 1 September 1989, Page 15

A new task for speech therapist

Last Friday Waimarino educators, parents and Board of Trustees members farewelled the area's speech language therapist, Alison Anderson at the Ohakune Primary School.

She finished at the end of the primary school term and her next task is to have a baby.

^Alison has been teaching children with speech or language difficulties, from 16 schools including Waiouru, Taihape, , Ohakune, Raetihi, Orautoha, Rangataua and Ngamatea as well as pre-schools in the area, for almost ten years. She is taking one year's maternity leave so in the mean time the position will hopefully be filled by a reliever.

Is she going to miss the job? "Well, no I'm not," she admits. Alison said she has been looking forward to

a break since starting the job straight out of her training. "I'm looking forward to this new challenge and to doing some gardening and all the other things I haven't been able to do." Alison was born and raised here in the Waimarino in a farming family. She went to Ohakune Primary School and Wanganui Girls Colleee, then

spent one year at teachers' college and two years training as a therapist in Christchurch. Her job has been aimed at making sure children can express themselves and be understood. This involves helping

children who may have difficulties with one of the two problem areas. Language problems are associated with children not putting sentences together and not being able to understand what's said to them. Children with language problems may be able to say words properly but they don't use them in a way that can be understood. Speech problems are to do with children not being able to form words and sounds. These problems can be associated with physical problems or late development. Alison says much of the problem nowadays is lack of stimulation for children. In their early years they are not challenged to communicate clearly. "Parents need to ask children questions that

have to be answered with a sentence and not just a nod or a shrug." She says now with

many children having two working parents, spending time talking and listening with

children has become harder. The clinic. which is [Turnpage 16

Speech Therapist

From page 15 based at the Ohakune Primary School, has about 160 children on its roll, some as young as one and a half year old and the oldest at College age. Many of the clinic's pupils are three yearolds who are talking but are difficult to understand, and 5-6 year olds who have very limited language. The job involves contact with parents and teachers as well as the children. The therapist develops programmes that the other adults can work the children through to get them over their problem.