Children & Youth Briefly

Deaf Kids in Nicaragua Create New Language

Deaf children in a school in Nicaragua without any type of formal instruction invented their own sign language. In a report published in the journal, Science , researchers studying this phenomenon found that their observations show that children, not adults, are key to the evolution and development of language. 1,000 children at a school in Managua provided these researchers with a living laboratory, made possible by the neglect and isolation of deaf people in Nicaragua until the 1970s. In 1977, a school for special education opened in Managua, and for the first time, deaf children could meet and learn together, and could stay together as they grew up. However, no one taught them formal sign language, so they made up their own. To read an article about the study, please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3662928.stm .

Distance Training Computer Network for the Blind in Vietnam

Sao Mai Computer Centre for the Bli nd is a computer training center which works to improve the IT knowledge of blind and visually impaired persons by providing training in computer skills and access to IT products. The Centre recently launched the Distance Training Computer Network for the Blind project, funded by Samsung Asia as part of their "Samsung DigitAll Hope" initiative, to benefit blind youth from four organizations in four different provinces in Vietnam. The project is the first distance training computer program in Vietnam and is carried out directly by blind teachers. Computer training courses will be conducted via the Internet with electronic documents, Braille books and tactile graphics, as well as literature recorded on tapes and CDs. To read more about the project, please visit http://www.samsung.com.au/hope/winners/vietnam02.htm .

UN issues child poverty warning for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

UNICEF recently reported that millions of children live in poverty in Eastern Europe and Central Asia despite economic growth in those regions. The report looks at the lives of children in 27 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and found that key indicators of children's welfare including infant mortality and numbers of youngsters in institutions were not improving. In nine of the countries surveyed, 14 million out of 44 million children were living below the national poverty line. UNICEF also says that many of these young people are disabled as a result of many years of neglect. To read a BBC article about the report online, please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/3737282.stm .

Bullying Curriculum to Help Disabled Students and Parents

The Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights has developed a new curriculum, "Is Your Child a Target of Bullying? Intervention Strategies for Parents of Children with Disabilities." The materials address bullying and are for professional and parent leaders to present at parent meetings, workshops, trainings and other occasions. The curriculum defines disability harassment and bullying, advises parents on how to talk with their children about bullying, teaches constructive ways a target can react to bullying, educates parents about laws and policies affecting bullying, and explains how to address bullying in individual education programs. For more information about this curriculum, please visit http://www.pacer.org/publications/bully.htm .

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