Many young students at schools for the visually impaired suffer delays in their development because, unlike other children, they cannot learn by imitating others.

Training the muscles and senses of these children is especially important as they will need to learn braille and keyboard skills, said Fu Ching-wah, a social worker with the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired.

For the past 11 years the school has been providing occupational, physical, speech and music therapy to students, in addition to a mainstream academic syllabus.

"In the past 11 years, we have been seeing more and more children like this. They have sensory or physical problems such as difficulties with walking. They face many challenges in life," Fu said.
Two-thirds of the school's 62 students, from Primary One to Form Three, receive therapy that is funded by donations. The school receives no government subsidies.

Six-year-old Rainbow Cheng Yuen-ting, a Primary One student, receives individual occupational therapy sessions once a week.

Glaucoma and corneal opacity have left Cheng with only 10 per cent of her vision and her sight is expected to deteriorate.

When she first started the training three years ago, her fine muscle abilities were two to three years behind children her age. Now she has caught up with them, said Hung Yuet-sheung, her occupational therapist.

Cheng used to be a difficult child. She would not co-operate with the therapists and cried for most of the session, Hung said. But she is now cheerful and lively, and works hard to achieve goals.

The fact that they cannot see makes it more difficult for students who have developmental problems in the nervous system to train up their motor skills.

"With visual impairment, they cannot imitate people's movements like other young children. Some cannot walk and others can't even sit or stand," said Jacky Leung Chun-keung, the school's physiotherapist.

The school will be receiving funds from this year's Operation Santa Claus, organised by the Post and RTHK, to enable it to continue these therapy sessions.

Source: South China Morning Post