More than 200 professionals, including teachers, therapists, superintendents and educational staff members, participated in the Congress co-organised with the Olsztyn Board of Education. The event was organized under the honorary patronage of Agata Kornhauser-Duda, the First Lady of Poland. Ass. Prof. Dr. Piotr H. Skarżyński delivered two presentations on Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD) and the introduction of the Stimulator of Polymodal Sensory Perception (SPPS) and the Senses Examination Platform (PBZ).
The Congress is one of the most vital educational events in the first quarter of 2017 organised in a close cooperation between the Orzeł Biały Primary School No.18 in Olsztyn , the Olsztyn Board of Education and the Center of Hearing and Speech Medincus.
In his speech, Ass. Prof. Dr. Piotr H. Skarżyński referred to the hearing screening programme in children from rural areas, which was implemented in 2015 and 2016. The programme has revealed that hearing loss may concern up to 20% of the first-graders from Warmia-Masuria Province. Subsequently, Ass. Prof. Dr. Piotr H. Skarżyński described the fundamentals of ear anatomy and hearing physiology, bringing particular attention to the main threats to hearing capacity of children. The most important part of the presentation was devoted to CAPD, which is of interest to teachers and psychotherapists. These professionals are usually the first ones who both observe dangerous symptoms in a given child and who initiate the processes of the child’s hearing examination and subsequent therapy.
Additionally, Natalia Czajka from the Center of Hearing and Speech Medincus presented the Stimulator of Polymodal Sensory Perception and the Senses Examination Platform, general aspects of the two devices, as well as the principal aspects of therapy with the use of SPPS.
Ms. Ewa Łukasiewicz-Gołębiowska, the head of the Counselling Centre No.3 in Olsztyn, gave her speech on the new model for the implementation of counselling services (the original Polish title: ‘Nowy model organizowania pomocy psychologiczno –pedagogicznej’). Furthermore, Marzena Życzko, the principal of the Orzeł Biały Primary School No.18 in Olsztyn put forward the innovative idea of auditory-motor-cognitive exercises for any child (the original Polish name of her speech was ‘Słuchowo – ruchowo – umysłowa gimnastyka dla każdego smyka’).
Courtesy of GNP Magnusson and the Warmia-Masuria subsidiary of the Center of Hearing and Speech Medincus, the participants of the Congress had an opportunity to do a brief hearing examination.
Owing to the fact that the event attracted an avid interest, its organisers consider extending it Poland-wide, and discuss further collaboration.
