Speech pathologist

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Friday November 5, 2010 00:00

In an interview with Mmegi, Professor Dava Waltzman of Hunter College of the City University of New York said it was important to identify children from a younger age to give them the freedom to share their feelings and succeed in their academic careers.

'Those children having difficulties with learning are those with difficulties in communicating when they were in pre-school and not given the attention and assistance they needed.

'I was drawn to this profession by my desire to help other people and being curious about why some children could not talk properly compared to others and what happens when adults lose their ability to speak.'

Waltzman, who has been in the profession since 1961, said adults usually lose their speech after suffering from strokes, dementia and cancer.

'It is important to identify (such) people and assess them so that they get into developmental rehabilitation programmes to enhance the quality of communicating,' she said. 'It is important as humans to communicate with others.'

She said Botswana should look into screening newborn babies to pick up their hearing disorders early in their lives and rectify them, adding that equipment for identifying voice and swallowing disorders was now available.

During her four-day visit to Botswana, Waltzman met with the ministries of health and education as well as Bokamoso Hospital, Gaborone Private Hospital and Princess Marina Hospital's (PMH) Department of Speech and Audiology that organised the conference.

'I have met with people and talks have occurred that can expand their programmes which they said were limited by the number of their clients,' she said.

Princess Marina Hospital is the only hospital in the country with a speech and audiology centre, which was established almost two years ago and is headed by Kutlwelo Mariri who studied in South Africa.

Mariri said the centre has a backlog of cases, especially children, but suffers from serious staff shortage challenges.

'We are happy that the professor came and educated us with the latest trends in the profession,' she said. 'We'll be keeping in touch and working closely with her via e-mail.'

Princess Marina Hospital also receives referrals from the GPH and Bokamoso Hospital.