Browsing by Author "Hay, Andrea"

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    The Cape Town Child Guidance Clinic, 1935-1971 : an historical analysis
    (1990) Hay, Andrea; Louw, Johann
    The study traced certain themes in the history of the Child Guidance Clinic during the period 1935 to 1971, in order to support the following hypotheses: (1) The establishment and development of the Clinic corresponded to the rise and growth of clinical psychology in South Africa. (2). The development of clinical psychology in this country reflected international developments in the field. (3) The practice of psychology was initially ensconced in education. (4) The role of the psychologist expanded in conjunction with the expansion of the psychologists' knowledge base. (5) As a result of the growth in practical and applied psychology, the professionalization of psychology emerged. The study aligned itself generally with those historiographies that view the history of psychology from a contextual approach. The work of Rose (1985) and Van Hoorn (1983) in particular, broadly informed the way in which the study was approached. Archival data consisting of the Clinic's Annual Reports dating from 1935 to 1972 were used as primary sources. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the past director, Dr. Grover. The development of the Clinic was placed within the context of the Mental Hygiene Movement of the early 1900s. An analysis of the Clinic's work illustrated its close involvement in education, in the form of identifying "problem" children arising initially mainly from the school. The importance ascribed to intelligence testing was indicated. The subsequent growth of a base of psychological knowledge and an increased specialist psychological role was then explored in relation to the procedure followed at the Clinic. It was argued that psychologists occupied a dominant position within the Clinic's multi-disciplinary team, their knowledge base became more specialized over time, as shown from an analysis of the classificatory systems used, and that the Clinic succeeded in popularizing psychology to the general public. The development of the Clinic was then placed against the background of the issues of professionalization in South Africa. It was shown how, being situated between university, educational and clinical practice, the Clinic constituted an appropriate setting for the future training of clinical psychologists in South Africa. The developments in clinical psychology in this country were broadly compared to those within the international realm throughout the text.
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    Parent and staff perceptions of services offered to young children with disabilities at special schools
    (1997) Nurse, Diane; Hay, Andrea
    This study explored the perceptions of parents and staff around the services offered to young children with disabilities in Special schools. Questionnaires were distributed to parents of young children with disabilities attending Special schools and to the professional staff working with these children. Six Special schools, under the auspices of the Western Cape Education Department and situated in the Cape Town Metropole, participated in the study. Questionnaires focused on the following themes: knowledge of disability, the nature and amount of contact enjoyed by staff and parents, the level of participation, consultation and decision making afforded to parents and staff and the extent to which parents and staff perceived that their needs were being met by the school. Findings highlighted a need among staff and parents for more knowledge around all issues of disability. This included information pertaining to disability as well as knowledge of the roles of various staff trained to work with the children. Parents voiced an additional need for information relating to their child's activities during a school day. Results also indicated insufficient contact between parents and staff This impacted on the level of consultation and decision making afforded to parents. It also affected the way in which staff viewed interaction with parents as well as their attitudes towards them. Differences in parents' and staff's perceptions of the extent to which the schools met the needs of parents varied from school to school. It appeared that meeting the emotional needs of parents of young children with disabilities by the schools needed particular attention. Socioeconomic factors appeared to influence responses, especially in areas around knowledge of disability and the amount of contact maintained by parents with the school. Even though many parents wished to participate more in their child's school activities, financial and social constraints were cited as factors preventing this. This study is relevant in a time when changes are being implemented in the Special Education system, particularly when a more meaningful involvement is being demanded of parents in all aspects of school affairs. Recommendations are thus aimed at empowering parents and staff, with a view to strengthening the partnership between parents of young children with disabilities attending Special schools and the staff working at these schools.