The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

DISTRAUGHT special needs educators are calling for immediate community intervention after their non-profit treatment centre was damaged by an electrical fire yesterday.

The early morning blaze has displaced 20 students at the Seahorse Institute, and destroyed vital curriculum and technology resources, according to director Dr Michelle Major.

Visibly distraught by the setback, Dr Major underscored the critical need for continuity of services to lessen the incidence of behavioural and academic regression.

“It’s very disruptive for them – even when they don’t come on weekends – they like a lot of structure and they need to come to school consistently.

“We only close for one week during the holidays because it’s the holidays, otherwise we go year-round. “We don’t close for the summer because these children need to have as much services as possible.”

Private care institutions, like Seahorse Institute, are critical to the community as they supplement government-run services stretched throughout the country.

According to Iris Adderley, a consultant within the Disability Affairs Division of Social Services, the archipelagic structure of the country presents a significant challenge in providing equal access to care in the face of ever increasing needs.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Ms Adderley suggested the convergence of private initiatives to collectively appeal for funding and ensure maximum benefit from available resources.

The Seahorse Institute administers intervention care for children with Autism, Down’s Syndrome and other disabilities, with specialised focus on the acquisition of language and communication skills, pre-academic and academic independent functioning, and socialisation skills.

The ages of students currently enrolled at the school range between two and 20 years old.

“We do intensive intervention, teaching them language and academics. [The goal is] to mainstream them into regular school,” Dr Major said.

According to Fire Services officers, the blaze started at an electrical outlet that had been covered for more than three years in the centre’s largest room. The room was primarily used for individual training therapy for children and housed curriculum and teaching resources.

“We don’t have anything to draw from,” Dr Major said.

“As a non-profit, we rely on the community to help us with some of our kids in scholarship and resources to keep us afloat, but now this is a huge setback because we need not only a place but we need to replace equipment and curriculums and as well so that children can continue to get the services they need.”

For more information on how you can assist the school, which is located on Shirley St and Lakeview Road, email info@seahorseinstitute.org.