City officials recently adopted a mandatory early detection and identification of children manifesting disabling conditions in pre-schools in the city.
Under Resolution No. 687, series of 2023, local legislators stated that the Persons with Disability Affairs Office under the City Mayor’s Office, together with the Parents Teachers Association, the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Health Services Office shall convene to adopt measures and guidelines for the implementation of this mandatory detection and identification of children manifesting disabling conditions.
During the Senior Citizens Official for a Day (SCOFAD) session held on October 9, 2023, the SCOFAD Council adopted the proposal of SCOFAD Councilor Estella M. Florendo that adopted a mandatory early detection and identification of children manifesting disabling conditions in pre-schools in the city.
The council claimed that the diagnosis of learning disabilities is often determined when children begin to exhibit academic difficulties in schools which can be realized to prevent them or ascertain at the outset negatives that can more easily be repaired than when the problem is already unmanageable.
Further, the body pointed out that delayed intervention can result in adverse and persistent consequences for academic skill acquisition, thus, early identification of children at risk for learning disabilities may offer the potential to mitigate the negative effects of delayed intervention by guiding the children to preventive services at an early age.
According to the resolution, any human society necessitates that its forthcoming generation be healthy, which is anchored on the birth and rearing of healthy children which is why preventive screening for genetic disorders, including developmental disabilities is an essential component in uncovering possible disabilities early to enable timely medical interventions.
The council underscored that the use of appropriate identification, assessment, and evaluation procedures, and delivery of appropriate services for pre-school handicapped children by qualified personnel is a goal of all persons serving pre-school children who demonstrate early manifestation of learning disabilities.
