PEDIATRICIAN ON TRAINING OF BACKWARD CHILDREN

Press, Volume C, Issue 29511, 12 May 1961, Page 9

PEDIATRICIAN ON TRAINING OF BACKWARD CHILDREN

Much more could be done for the edueition and training of the intellectuallyhandicapped child in New Zealand than had previously been realised. Mid Dr. Donald Beasley, a Northland pediatrician recently relumed from an intensive four month’s visit to related institutions overseas, when he addressed members of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Intellectuallyhandicapped Children s Parents’ Association.

Dr. Beasley’s visit was sponsored by the New Zealand association and financed with nelp from the Government.

Dr. Beasley said he considered that for the necessary expansion of this work the Educ .tion Department and other Government and local bodies would need to play a much greater part. The value of tentative pilot schemes instituted in the Dominion would, however, d'pend largely on the extent of co-operation and integration achieved among the various bodies concerned, all facets of this work being essentially complementary, he said.

Taking into consideration the facts of New Zealand’s relatively small population he believed that with an over all central authority in control of the work being done, better results more in line with recent developments overseas could be achieved.

There was one particular danger however, the attitude

of the public, supervisors, and educators to the intel-lectually-handicapped person in the conununitv, said Dr. Beaaley. "Net Peer Ltttte Things'’ "There i* very real danger of there people being given too much protection and solicitude. They are moat certainly not poor little things. On reaching-iadult-hood they can worh|t given adequate motivation, and they must—but we must not exploit them. They must surely learn to accept the condition* oi life and have a normal balance of experience of .success and failure as do normal people,” he said. ‘‘Hit, whether you like it or not, is a rat race, and we are all in it” Discussing the present occupational centres for the intellectually handicapped in New Zealand Dr. Beasley asked: “Are these perhaps tending to become too formalised?" As a result of his visit to centres and training schools in Britain, Europe, and the United States he had drawn up several recommendations and suggestions for consideration in this country, said Dr. Beasley. These he outlined with the aid of coloured slides, blackboard diagrams, quotations from standard works on the subject, and examples of work produced at such centres.

From these latter examples could be realised the extent of achievement possible by persons of the lowest intel-

ligence quotient—some bordering on the 20 to 25 groups, he said. Boarding Schools Other recommendations made by Dr. Beasley included one on the possibility of boarding schools for intellectually - handicapped children to be attached to special schools in the various centres. The problem in many New Zeeland districts was a difficult and serious one for many families, he believed. Throughout his lecture Dr. Beasley emphasised that the family unit was at all times the most important to be preserved, and all moves should be taken with this in consideration.

Finally, Dr. Beasley set out eight basic types of institution which he considered would be essential in a city the size of Christchurch. From the moot elementary stage these were a day care centre, a nursery training centre, an occupation centre, a junior residential hostel and a similar one for seniors, a senior training group, a sheltered workshop, and provision for pensioner-type flats. With the natural flow from one group to another and from the mental deficiency departments of the hospitals, this handicapped section would have a better opportunity in playing its not inconsiderable role in the community, and family life, and a greater chance of living and working in its appropriate group, he said.