Proposals to appoint a Speech and Language Therapist or Speech Pathologist for each educational zone in the country

The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus when it met in Parliament recently under the chairmanship of, MP. (Dr) Sudarshani Fernandopulle proposed that a Speech and Language Therapist or Speech Pathologist be appointed for each educational zone in the country as there were a large number of  school children with speech disorders.

The caucus also discussed the need of converting the “Ayati” Child Care Center, the first national center in Sri Lanka for clinical treatment of children with special needs, into an approved charity institute.

At present the  “Ayati” center which is located at premises of the medical faculty of the University of Kelaniya in Ragama, operates as a public-private partnership and the clinics are conducted by highly qualified professional experts from the Department of Disability Studies of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kelaniya and the doctors and therapists of the Colombo North Teaching Hospital.