Innovative project to support the mental health of deaf children in Northern Ireland
14 June 2006
A new project has been launched to support positive mental health for deaf children throughout Northern Ireland by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) Northern Ireland. NDCS is the only UK charity solely dedicated to the support of deaf children and young people, their families, and professionals working with them.
The Healthy Minds project will focus on the personal and social education of deaf children aged 5-14 and will work mainly in schools by developing and piloting Healthy Minds resource packs. The project will focus on topics including self-esteem, coping with emotions, mixing with others, communication and bullying.
Caroline Doherty has been recruited as NDCS Healthy Minds Officer to lead the project. Caroline, from L’Derry joins the NDCS from Northern Ireland Deaf Youth Association, NIDYA.
Caroline explains:
"Growing up deaf myself I am particularly excited to be leading this project which aims to ensure deaf children experience full social and emotional inclusion as well as educational inclusion. Deaf children can often find it difficult to develop adequate language to express their emotions, or to negotiate reason and resolve conflict and this can lead to frustration."
"This project will create an opportunity for professionals working with deaf children and families with deaf children, to endorse and implement good practice guidelines, ensuring deaf children are equipped with appropriate tools to understand themselves and their world on a more equal footing as their hearing peers."
A recent study by NDCS Northern Ireland demonstrated that mental health services are often not accessible to deaf children. The report highlighted that deaf children were four times as likely, to be exposed to mental health difficulties, than hearing children. The report concluded that it is paramount that priority is given to develop mental health services, in order to prevent mental health difficulties in later life.
The project will also create a support pack for parents to provide information about some of the key issues that can affect their deaf child’s development. The pack will offer parents practical tips and strategies for addressing some development issues. Families attending NDCS family weekends will have the chance to participate in the pilot study that will explore the issues of relevance and will look at offering practical but also realistic solutions.
If you would like to be involved in this project or would like further information please contactcaroline.doherty@ndcs.org.uk caroline.doherty@ndcs.org.uk or contact the NDCS Northern Ireland office on 028 90 313170.
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Notes to editors
For further information please contact:
Diana Renshaw NDCS Media Relations Manager
Tel: 020 7014 1146
Email: diana.renshaw@ndcs.org.uk
Anne-Marie Devaney, NDCS PR Assistant
Tel: 020 7014 1149
Email: anne-marie.devaney@ndcs.org.uk
·Three babies are born deaf every day and 90 per cent of deaf children are born to hearing parents with little experience of deafness.
·There are 35,000 deaf children in the UK.
·Parents with concerns about their child’s hearing can contact the NDCS Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text) or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk open 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday, or access the website at www.ndcs.org.uk
Caroline Doherty has been recruited as NDCS Healthy Minds Officer to lead the project. Caroline, from L’Derry joins the NDCS from Northern Ireland Deaf Youth Association, NIDYA.
Caroline explains:
"Growing up deaf myself I am particularly excited to be leading this project which aims to ensure deaf children experience full social and emotional inclusion as well as educational inclusion. Deaf children can often find it difficult to develop adequate language to express their emotions, or to negotiate reason and resolve conflict and this can lead to frustration."
"This project will create an opportunity for professionals working with deaf children and families with deaf children, to endorse and implement good practice guidelines, ensuring deaf children are equipped with appropriate tools to understand themselves and their world on a more equal footing as their hearing peers."
A recent study by NDCS Northern Ireland demonstrated that mental health services are often not accessible to deaf children. The report highlighted that deaf children were four times as likely, to be exposed to mental health difficulties, than hearing children. The report concluded that it is paramount that priority is given to develop mental health services, in order to prevent mental health difficulties in later life.
The project will also create a support pack for parents to provide information about some of the key issues that can affect their deaf child’s development. The pack will offer parents practical tips and strategies for addressing some development issues. Families attending NDCS family weekends will have the chance to participate in the pilot study that will explore the issues of relevance and will look at offering practical but also realistic solutions.
If you would like to be involved in this project or would like further information please contactcaroline.doherty@ndcs.org.uk caroline.doherty@ndcs.org.uk or contact the NDCS Northern Ireland office on 028 90 313170.
-ends-
Notes to editors
For further information please contact:
Diana Renshaw NDCS Media Relations Manager
Tel: 020 7014 1146
Email: diana.renshaw@ndcs.org.uk
Anne-Marie Devaney, NDCS PR Assistant
Tel: 020 7014 1149
Email: anne-marie.devaney@ndcs.org.uk
·Three babies are born deaf every day and 90 per cent of deaf children are born to hearing parents with little experience of deafness.
·There are 35,000 deaf children in the UK.
·Parents with concerns about their child’s hearing can contact the NDCS Freephone Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text) or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk open 10am – 5pm Monday to Friday, or access the website at www.ndcs.org.uk
