Talking her way into young hearts

by Lakmal Welabada

"You need energy and it is time consuming. But, when you see an improvement in a child with speech impairment, we have no words to express our satisfaction. That feeling is unexplainable. More than earning money this is more of a service," says Saminda Kuruppu, a Speech and Language Therapist.

The simple, young therapist handles special children at Bishop's College, Colombo where she teaches full time at present.

"I did a two year diploma course in Speech and Language Therapy at the Medical Faculty of Ragama affiliated to the University of Kelaniya. And now I am following a Special Education Diploma course at the National Institute of Education," she says.

Saminda's childhood dream to become which was to be a doctor became only a day dream with the shock she got through her father's death. "I have just entered to the A/L class and was in Grade 12. Thatha's accident was a major set back in our life. It was my mother who shouldered everything and encouraged us to go for the target," she reminisces.

"Both my parents love social service. This was in my blood too. I wanted to become a doctor not to enjoy the perks or esteem, but with the true intention of serving the people. I've never wanted a job which I have to sit at an isolated corner or with machines. I always wanted to be with and associate people. Knowing this my uncle who was a doctor revealed me the idea of the speech therapist. And it suited me well," she reminisces.

Question: Can you explain us the type of work you do?

Saminda: Yes, of course... Through speech therapy treatment we rehabilitate both children and adults with communication difficulties such as hearing impairment, verbal impairment due to cleft lip and palate and those who have the learning difficulties due to handicapped mentalities like autism.

Especially these autism children could be detected through certain signs. Although their physical appearance is normal they live in their own world and has impairment in communication, logical thinking and other behaviours. Sometimes, they cannot verbally express or point at something and tell.

Instead such child might pull the hand of an adult and place it on the door bolt to indicate that he wants the adult to open the door for him. Also he tends to repeat like a parrot exactly what you utter.

Such children avoid eye contact, and show hyper activity such as by flapping his hands continuously while making an unusual shriek. They train themselves a certain routine in everything. And even when playing with a toy they play in a same way all the time without changing the process. So we have to diagnose them and treat them to adopt into the normal life.

Adults who become verbally handicapped or having eating and drinking or swallowing problems due to strokes, cerebral palsy (brain damages) or cancers are also among those who in need of these therapies. "Some get cancers in the Larynx.

This is a part which has two main vocal codes that help to make the sound/voice. When Larynx is removed (once cancer is detected) that person gets the disability to talk. So we have to find alternative ways to help him in this process. Some are guided to use a small torch like technological instrument to place externally on a side of his neck when he is talking. This helps his listener to understand what he is trying to say. It gives a mechanical (robotic) sound. But it provides some sort of a relief to such people," explains Saminda.

All these facilities are available at the Government Training Hospitals in Sri Lanka. People should be aware of this services, she points out. Not merely in the hospitals, but speech therapy can be worked out in the especial schools for handicapped children and also in the main stream schools.

Bishop College is one such school that has bold enough to accept the challenge. The children with speech disorders are put to mingle with normal children in the normal classroom, under the supervision of the especially trained teachers like Saminda. This helps these children to adopt to the normal society once they become adults. "Once we get such a child in the school, we assess and see what class is suitable for her.

No matter her age, we enter her to the class of her level. As an example there is a girl who is in the age of grade three, but studies is in grade two at present. But she has already made friends of the whole classroom, and takes part in school activities, sports concerts etc. But the main key factor is that although we mix such children with normal children, we have to modify the normal class room lessons according to their levels and abilities.

As an example, we would change the questions in the test papers and might give them more time to answer," says Saminda.

This young therapist is still in the bubbling years of early twenties. Chess, listening to music, playing the violin, travelling a bit with her family, enhancing her knowledge in psychology and English language have been her pastimes since studying at Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda. Saminda thinks the Buddhist philosophy she follows and her teacher mother's guidance has been the shadow of her success through out. "What I do as my career is a charity itself, but in addition I am involved in many religious activities.

I believe that if practice properly meditation gives a lot of discipline and peace in mind to anybody, no matter his or her class, creed, religion or age. I think youngsters should adopt it, as it helps us to tolerate the turmoil we encounter of today's society," she briefs. The young teacher paid her tribute to the Principal, Vice Principal and the colleagues at Bishop's for the assistance they render for her.

Saminda seems to be having her own fan club especially among little ones. Not merely her speech disorder students and their parents who are really fond of the service she does, but also her neighbourhood kids adore her, 'aunty Saminda' a lot.

And she loves them too. Her patience seems never gets loose with small ones. "I think I am born to look after 'children'. My dream is to serve under privilege children in the remote rural areas who have less opportunities to get treatment for speech therapies," she smiles.

Children with speech disabilities of today would be adults tomorrow. So they should also have the right to live in the society with self dignity. It's a responsibility of the whole society to respect them with humanity and compassion and let them live happily enjoying their freedom as a normal human being, suggests Saminda when concluding.