The Catholic Religious Education Development Institute (Credi) will host a Hidden Disabilities Conference—What you cannot see, Wednesday 16—17, at the Government Campus Auditorium, Lower Richmond Street and Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain at 8.45 am.
The conference will contribute greatly to an enabling climate to address challenges that some students may be experiencing: mental, physical, intellectual, and sensory impairment in a positive, professionally and socially pleasing way.
Credi believes that the nation’s schools are still hindered by inadequate systems to facilitate early intervention, and insufficient training programmes designed to equip teachers to deal with special needs’ cases in their classrooms.
The need for a drastic end to this situation is urgent and critical.
Credi chooses not to turn a blind eye to another area of social discontent that can exacerbate an already critical national situation.
In this context, the purpose of the conference is to: n Continue to sensitise relevant career professionals about the reality of hidden disabilities so that they can be open to and plan for innovative teaching and curricular strategies for ensuring that all children can selfactualise optimally in caring, sensitive contexts; n Cater for the existential rights of each child to be engaged in an educational environment that is inclusive and holistic in its pedagogical approaches and social dynamics; n Provide a basis for pertinent administrators and care-givers to work towards the provision of infrastructure and human and technical resources that facilitate the challenged stakeholders; n Underline the indisputable reality that disabilities exist and that understanding must strongly feature in all initiatives for human management and development.
Credi’s Hidden Disabilities Conference promises to be a rich conversation with local and international presenters who will speak to challenges faced by educators, parents and anyone who has cause to interact regularly with young persons.
Renowned speakers include Archbishop of Portof- Spain Jason Gordon; Dr Tim Conway, neuropsychologist and owner of the Morris Centres in Trinidad and Florida, USA; Dr Launcelot Brown of Duquesne University, Pennsylvania, USA; Dr Madonna Wojtaszek–Healy, hidden disabilities consultant and lecturer from Illinois, USA; Dr David Bratt, paediatrician; and Kitts Cadette, principal, Eshe’s Learning Centre and Special Education lecturer at Credi.
