Children, adolescents and youth with disabilities in Guyana are currently benefiting from a Regional Centre for their stimulation.
The Regional Stimulation Center (RSC) performs the function of a disabilities/special education diagnostic facility as well as treatment centre and a training centre. The main objective of the Regional Center is to provide care for children, adolescents and youth with disabilities through the facilitation of training for teachers and caregivers.
To date, one batch of Guyanese nationals has received training from Cuban specialists. The training programme covered, among other areas, psychological and pedagogical assessments, prevention and early stimulation and the inter/multi-disciplinary approach for diagnosis and treatment of individuals. A second group is currently being trained.
While the RSC is located in Guyana, it was developed with the expectation that all CARICOM Member States would have access to the services and training offered. With this in mind, the CARICOM Secretariat hosted, on 5–6 November 2019, at its Headquarters in Guyana, a consultation with practitioners engaged in work in the field of special needs and disabilities from across the Region. The consultation was aimed at charting the way forward with respect to wider regional access to the Centre.
Specifically, the purpose of the consultation was to inform participants on the progress that has been made in relation to the establishment of the…