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M.=ney University Library
New Zt..:aland & Pacific Collection
THE DEVELOPJ.iEUTAJJ CLINIC PALMERSTON ~ro:-tTH
- --·
1977-78
A thesis p!:·esented in partial fulfilment 01 the requirements
f~r the degree of Master of Arts in Education
Ann Behrens 1979
at !i:iassey University.
J
e ":"
:-· •. t l .
Massey University Library
New Zealand & Pacific Collection
This thesis presents an expl oration of the
Developmental Clinic which operates in Palmerston North. The present psychologist has worked there for two years , the period of time the clinic has been adminj.st ered by the Department of Education Psychological ~~rvice in this area. Litt l e information was available about the clinic, its operation, its philosophy and i ts progr~rnme when she began so this study has been firstly a means of providing that inforDation as a basic resou · 0 that clinic staff and others can refer to locally. ..
.
... : the cllnic continues this inforr..aticn can be added, the thesis serving as an introduction.Some effort hns been made to evaluate the clinic i nformally and highlight problems thEt exi st as well as conveying t~e very pocitive feelings clinic 3taff and others have towards the clinic. Already so~o of these problems are being considered and action ta::..::eii to remedy them. Becau3e the cli nic is a very flexible and evolving organisation one act ion l eads very quickly to another, and comments made at one point become outdated shortly afterwards.
..
ACKNOWLEDG ErlISNTS
I would like firstly to thank Professor Hill of
Massey University for the kindly support he gave me as my
supervisor.
This was also provided by the staff of the
Psychological Service in Palmerston North and by a number of teachers in local schools who became aware of the
reasons for my frequent absence from their schools. I am very grateful for this.
During the period I was wri tL1g this thesis I was assisted by local paediatricians, the visiting therapist~
and the clinic st[..ff who were prepared to give their time to consider questions posed. Their interest in the clinic is demonstrated by their efforts to c:iange existing
situations to conform ~ith what seems a more desirable approach to the problem of handicap. Often changes
occurred as a res·...tl t of an interviev1. It is -very revmrding working alongside people such as the~3. Iarticular thanks goes too to the parents who answeI'ed questions, put forward ideas and often rang several weeks later with a new
thought. Th~ir interest was very supporting.
Special thanks go to Marie Goss for typing this thesis.
Her experience is invaluable.
Finally I must commend my family for their patience.
As my daughter has stated, I will now be able to teach her to k:ni t, a skill &he has done without for tv10 years while her mother has pw·nued other interests.
TABLE OF CONTENT
S U1'.TIIIA RY •
ACKNOWLEDGE!\1ENTS • CHAPTER ONE
Section One:
Secticn Two:
TEZ DEVELOPMENTAL CLINIC: A!'~ EARLY IN·:rERVENTION PHOJECT FOR n;rANTS WITH A POTENTIAL P.ANDICAP
Introduction History
CHAPTER TWO THE CLINIC'S ROLE, PHILOSOI-'HY AND
•
Page
1 1 7
THEORY 11
Section One: The Need to Reconcile the Medical Approach with the Educational
Approach • 11
Section rrwo: The Clinic's Philosophy •
Sectio~ ~hree: Theory • • •
Rationale for Interventi on • • CHAPTER TIL1EE T.'1:;; ADI.TINISTRATION AND STRJJCTUHE OF
THE CLINIC
Sectior: One: Structure • The Playroom
The Hospital Base •
Staff Involved i~ the Clinic The Physiotherapist
The Speech Therapist • The Psychologist
Referrals
Appointments • Equipment
On Graduation
Secti0n Two: Coordination of Facilities • Comprehensive Approach
CH/1FTER FOTJa IHOGRM.rr.rns
Section One: The Whole Child Flexibility •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
13 19 27
32 32 34 39 41 42 44 45 46 49 51 52 54 59 66 66 75
Section Two:
Resources
Assessment, Diagnosis and Stimulation
Heports •
The Rate of Development
•
The Problems of Blindness •
Parents • •
Adjusting Expectations . CHAPrER FIVE 'IHE FAMILIES INVOLVED
Section One: Four Case Studies
Children Receiving Long-·Term Programming (Category A) • Problems Relating to Clinic Failure •
Sectior~ Two: Parent Reactions to Assistance Given
Parent's Group CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION .
BIBLIOGRAPHY • •
A Multidiscipliuary Approach • A Central Base
The Overall Concept Involved • Education
Clinic Structure • Transport
The Role of the Psychologist • Speech Therapist • • • Infant Education • • • •
• • • • •
Page 79 80
• 84
85 86 91
• 94
99 99
• 10C
• 118
• 12~
• 130
• 132
• 132
• 133
• 134
• • 134
• 135
• 135
• 136
• • 136
• 136
• 146
TABLE 1
TABLE 3
TABLE 4
TABLE 6
TABLE 8
TABLE 9
LIST O:F' TABLES
Indicates persons who attend the clinic with the child receivine long- term programming •
This table indicates the services off er~d each child who have become direct ly involved in that child's handicap. The children listed are receiving long-term programming at Developmental Clinic •
Indicates the chronological age at referral and the agency ref erring Indicates the chronological ag0 at referral and the major ~andicap
presented at referral
Indicates years in which referrals made w1d the chronologi cal ages of children referred in those yea.rs •
•
those the
•
•
•
Indicates the presenti~1g broad diagnosis of children receiving 1ong-term
prograrrilTling in the clin.ic • • Indicat es specific pro.b1ems handled by
the physiotherapist during 1978 with childrr=m receiving lonc;--term programming Indicates specific problems handled by Speech 'l'herapist, June·-December 1978 Indicates specific problems the . psychologist has dealt with during with a group of children receiving long-term programming · •
1978
• •
Page
138
139
140
140
141
142
143
144
145
