Professor Lorna Jacklin from the Wits Faculty of Health Sciences recently won the 2008 Shoprite Checkers/SABC 2 Woman of the Year Award in the category of health.
Jacklin has dedicated her life and in particular her medical career to improving the lives of children with physical disabilities or abuse. She has acted as an Ombudsman for these children who do not fit into mainline education and struggle to fulfill their potential as they are not given the educational opportunities they need and are often misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mistreated.
Lack of early or appropriate education rob these children of a fair chance in life if not treated as it eventually translates into developmental problems which in turn bring social problems as children grow up into adults who cannot function independently and are anti-social in their behaviour.
Jacklin holds the position of the Principal Consultant Paediatrician with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand and consults to the Paediatric Department of the Johannesburg Hospital. Using her knowledge and capabilities in the mental health medical field, she has made a difference in the lives of thousands of children acting as medical consultant to the Neuro-developmental Clinic at the Johannesburg Hospital and various other clinics and initiatives in support of children with mental health problems.
In her work in the Neuro-developmental Clinic she has been able to track the changing profile of autism as ever increasing numbers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are brought to her for assessment and medical support. This is extremely valuable work in the face of an international crisis of growing numbers of children with autism. She is ensuring that South African data is being collected and scrutinised as to whether our children are following the pattern presenting in the US and UK.
She is one of the founder members and previous chairperson of the Wits Paediatric fund, an organisation run as a University project to raise funds for the children’s wards and out-patient clinics at Chris Hani Baragwanath, Coronation and Johannesburg Hospitals. She started the Toy Library for patients and children with disabilities at Baragwanath Hospital in 1985. It is still in existence and has been replicated.
She is a founder member of the Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children which was launched in 1986. As there are no affordable pre-school and educational services for blind or autistic children in Johannesburg she also founded the Children’s Disability Centre in 1986.
Professor Jacklin was one of three Wits finalists in the 2008 Shoprite Checkers Woman of the Year Awards. Dr Janet Poole, one of the country’s leading specialists in the field of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology; and Prof. Claire Penn from the Wits School of Speech Pathology and Audiology and an internationally acknowledged scientist were also finalists.
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Jacklin has dedicated her life and in particular her medical career to improving the lives of children with physical disabilities or abuse. She has acted as an Ombudsman for these children who do not fit into mainline education and struggle to fulfill their potential as they are not given the educational opportunities they need and are often misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mistreated.
Lack of early or appropriate education rob these children of a fair chance in life if not treated as it eventually translates into developmental problems which in turn bring social problems as children grow up into adults who cannot function independently and are anti-social in their behaviour.
Jacklin holds the position of the Principal Consultant Paediatrician with the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand and consults to the Paediatric Department of the Johannesburg Hospital. Using her knowledge and capabilities in the mental health medical field, she has made a difference in the lives of thousands of children acting as medical consultant to the Neuro-developmental Clinic at the Johannesburg Hospital and various other clinics and initiatives in support of children with mental health problems.
In her work in the Neuro-developmental Clinic she has been able to track the changing profile of autism as ever increasing numbers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are brought to her for assessment and medical support. This is extremely valuable work in the face of an international crisis of growing numbers of children with autism. She is ensuring that South African data is being collected and scrutinised as to whether our children are following the pattern presenting in the US and UK.
She is one of the founder members and previous chairperson of the Wits Paediatric fund, an organisation run as a University project to raise funds for the children’s wards and out-patient clinics at Chris Hani Baragwanath, Coronation and Johannesburg Hospitals. She started the Toy Library for patients and children with disabilities at Baragwanath Hospital in 1985. It is still in existence and has been replicated.
She is a founder member of the Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children which was launched in 1986. As there are no affordable pre-school and educational services for blind or autistic children in Johannesburg she also founded the Children’s Disability Centre in 1986.
Professor Jacklin was one of three Wits finalists in the 2008 Shoprite Checkers Woman of the Year Awards. Dr Janet Poole, one of the country’s leading specialists in the field of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology; and Prof. Claire Penn from the Wits School of Speech Pathology and Audiology and an internationally acknowledged scientist were also finalists.
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