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May 2006 News

May 2006 - Dundee University research helps Romanian orphans

Pioneering work by a University of Dundee researcher is being used to help some of Romania's most disadvantaged children.

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, from the university's psychology department, was invited to the Antioch Centre in the Romanian town of Slatina by British-based charity Medlink to help increase the communicative abilities of disabled and orphaned children.

Using techniques based on her work on imitation with babies Dr Zeedyk and her colleague Dr Cliff Davies, a retired psychology lecturer at Manchester University, were able to reach children previously regarded as unresponsive and unable to communicate.

"We went out to see if we could help develop new techniques to get in touch with these children, many of whom have severe disabilities," said Dr Zeedyk.

"One of the research areas I am working in uses imitation as a way of speaking to people with communication difficulties, using their own language. You respond to their rhythms and sounds using those rhythms and sounds, because these are already familiar and meaningful to them. The technique is also known as Intensive Interaction or Co-Creative Communication."

Dr Zeedyk and Dr Davies hope to set up a training exchange and have training materials translated into Romanian so that other child care providers in Romania can adopt the techniques.