Funny child Odhran scoops award with his humorous joke

Funny child Odhran scoops award with his humorous joke

14 June 2017

A TALENTED Crossgar schoolboy has joked his way to the top of the Voice Box Awards.

Seven year-old Odhran Morris was named winner of the national competition run by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to highlight the crucial role of speech and language development in school life.

Other local finalists included Erin Donaghey, from St Macartan’s Primary School, Loughinisland, Leah McCarthy, from St Patrick’s Primary School, Ballygalget, and Ethan Stevenson, from Cedar Integrated Primary School, Crossgar.

They were among 3,500 competitors, many of whom have never needed a speech and language therapist, who participated in the local heats. 

But it was Odhran’s joke about the Eiffel Tower that put him ahead of the pack in the final which was held at Belfast City Hall. And here is it is:

What’s tall, lives in the middle of Paris and wobbles?

I don’t know what is tall, lives in the middle of Paris and wobbles?

The Trifle Tower!

After attending the nursery unit at Cedar Integrated Primary School in Crossgar, Odhran spent the first few years of his education in a dedicated speech and language unit at Knockmore Primary School in Lisburn.

He is currently transitioning back into mainstream school hand and will transfer to Cedar Integrated in September, thanks to significant progress made through specialist assistance in Knockmore.

At two years of age, Odhran had almost zero recognized speech ability. Thanks to the intervention of Down and South Eastern Trust Community Speech and Language services, Odhran was identified as having specific speech needs.

He was referred to an intensive speech and language programme in the Ballynahinch Health Centre where he was taught how to create the necessary sounds to form intelligible speech. 

At Knockmore, Odhran thrived with further assistance from Ms Avril Hamilton and his classroom teachers, continuing to improve from P1 to P3, which has made him suitable for mainstream school from September.

His teachers were delighted he had the ability and confidence to win the national speech-based event that was open and available to children from all schools.

Approximately seven per cent of children in Northern Ireland start school with a developmental language disorder, and a further 2.34% of children start school with a language disorder linked to another condition such as learning disability, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorder. 

In areas of social deprivation, speech and language difficulties can occur in above 50% of children. 

Belfast Lord Mayor McAllister said it was a privilege to host the prestigious competition at Belfast City Hall.

“As councillors we have a responsibility to ensure we foster communities which are accessible to all our citizens and this includes providing inclusive communication environments,” she said.

Alison McCullough, MBE, head of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said the numbers of schools getting involved in the competition had increased each year over five years. 

“This event provides an exciting opportunity to promote the importance of speech and language activities within school,” she said.

“We are also working with politicians, policy makers and other partners to make society more aware of the impact a communication difficulty can make to educational attainment, employment and mental health and wellbeing.”