Parents as Trainers About Disability in Low Income Countries

Abstract

A 5-day workshop is described which was designed speci cally to prepare parents to act as trainers for other parents with a child who has a disability. It also aimed to build their con dence and competence in training community groups as well as professional workers such as teachers. Data gathered at the end of the workshop con rmed that these aims were broadly met. Twelve months later, the participants had organised 19 training events throughout Lesotho for families and community groups and they were able to report a variety of tangible outcomes resulting from their training. The key elements to the success of these training initiatives are discussed. This training model could be replicated in other places and resources for doing this are available.

Childhood Disability in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Overview of Screening, Prevention, Services, Legislation, and Epidemiology

“…McConkey et al 35,110 The needs identified by parents were involvement of themselves as trainers for future service providers, increased awareness of rights of their children, better understanding by the community of their children's problems, and more specialists and community workers; primary outcome of the increased awareness in the community had been increased enrollment of children in schools, improved acceptance of the children in daily community activities and sports, identification of income-generating schemes for the affected, ensuring that an interpreter is available at the clinics to help the parents to communicate with the health staff, and increase in membership Mauritius…”

Interventions Provided by Parents for Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Low and Middle Income Countries

“…In Lesotho, one of Africa’s poorest countries, McConkey et al. (2000) conducted a 5‐day workshop for 21 parents of children with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities.…”

“… Community development It is clear that little advance in the welfare of children with developmental disabilities can occur unless there is an agreed goal to maximize potential of children with disabilities to participate in the general community, and an understanding that progress towards participation is achievable. The evidence, as demonstrated by McConkey et al. (2000), supports the value of, and we therefore recommend, parent‐led and government‐supported community activities to achieve a general motivation to assist children with disabilities. General child development The most extensively used and studied program to encourage the acquisition of independence skills and language development is the Portage Program (Cameron 1997).…”

“…In Lesotho, one of Africa's poorest countries, McConkey et al (2000) conducted a 5-day workshop for 21 parents of children with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities. The focus of the workshop was on the rights of people with disabilities, on advocacy, assessment of disabilities and toilet training.…”

Some Growth Points in African Child Development Research

“…The sociocultural focus of programmatic intervention in response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic resonates with an earlier field of applied research and intervention on community‐based (re)habilitation (CBR) of children with disabilities (Nabuzoka, , ; Serpell, ). Several practitioners in Africa and other Majority World settings began in that period to explore ways of delivering education and developmental interventions to children with special needs in their homes (e.g., Marfo, ; Marfo, Walker, & Charles, ; McConkey, ; McConkey, Mariga, Braadland, & Mphole, ; Serpell, Mariga, & Harvey, ; Sturmey et al., ).…”