Children's Centre University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICES

The Psycho-Educational Testing Services form part of the comprehensive child development services of the Children’s Centre. This new facility, initiated in 2000 by Dr. Wilhelmina Kalu, a psychologist in the Department of Educational Foundations of the University of Nigeria and longtime Chairperson of the Children’s Centre Committee, is intended to answer the long-felt need for services to children and youth with special needs. It provides testing and counseling services for children with learning disabilities, the gifted, the mentally retarded, and those with other special needs. Previously, children with special needs have lacked access to any diagnostic, correctional or guidance services within the community.

The testing services occupy the clubroom wing of the Children’s Centre building. One room serves as the conference room and library, while the other doubles as playroom and laboratory for this facility and the Children’s Centre as a whole.

PETS activities to date include a familiarization workshop held in July 2002 for members of the University Women’s Association and Children’s Centre Committee and use as a teaching laboratory by postgraduate students of the Special Education Unit, Department of Educational Foundations in 2003. Counseling services took off early in 2004.

The founder of the Psycho-Educational Testing Services (PETS), Prof. Wilhelmina Kalu, donated many of her testing materials and conducted a workshop demonstrating their use during her visits to Nigeria in 2005 and 2006. She also helped organize the playroom toy collection and explain the use of toys in testing. In addition to use by PETS, members of AIESEC now provide supervision for children playing with the toys on Saturday mornings.