A North East MP, Liz Twist, has expressed her support for Deaf Children’s Services in the House of Commons and called for more funding for local authorities.
With a particular focus on education, health and care for the deaf children of the UK, Blaydon’s MP has demonstrated her concerns that those who need access to essential support are finding it very difficult to do so. This is partly due to the lack of knowledge that schools have in order to support their deaf pupils.
In calling for more funding for the local authorities to provide supportive services on September 13 2018, Ms Twist stated: “The National Deaf Children’s Society says, it is essential that services are funded in a way that allows early intervention not just at school but at pre-school”.
Twist pointed out that deafness begins to make a negative impact on the development of the child from the earliest stages of education, where “34% of pre-school deaf children were reported as having a good level of development compared with 76% of other children.”
With local authorities forced into making cutbacks on many services, specialist education for deaf children has been no exception. Spending has been reducing since 2011. Funding is typically used to allow early interventions and provide support for families and children affected.
Ms Twist concluded her speech, expressing the need for additional funding for local authorities to provide these essential services.