“PROBLEM” CHILD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1940, Page 6

“PROBLEM” CHILD

INFLUENCE OF PARENTS

ACTIVITIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR GOULD. ■ “There is nc such thing as a prob- ■ lem child.” observed Professor W. H. ' Gould, of Victoria University College, ■ at the conclusion of an address at yesterday’s luncheon of the Masterton Rotary Club. “Every child is a problem,” he added, “and some are bigger problems than others.” He stated, however, that the problem was not so ; much with the child as with their parents or guardians. Mr P. F. Fagan, president of the Rotary Club presided. Professor Gould, referring to the activities of the Psychological Clinic at Victoria University College, which was a purely voluntary affair, said it had been established 10 or 12 years ago. It

was staffed by members of the depart- ■ ments of philosophy and education, its ■ originator being Sir Thomas Hunter, the present Principal of the College, ■ who called in the speaker to arrange ’ and assist its working. Assistance had i also been given by various members I of the staff and others, including the . late Director of School Hygiene, Dr Ada Patterson, and a woman optician in Wellington. The clinic dealt with i children who were exceptional and en- ’ deavoured to ascertain the cause of such behaviour and gave advice on its > findings. VARIOUS TYPES. Children, said Professor Gould, came to the clinic in various ways, but chiefly through the parents themselves, though many were referred to it by the schools. They could do nothing unless they had the parents’ or guardians’ consent. He had come to the conclusion that the problem was not so much with the children as it was with the parents or other grown-ups, with whom the children lived. Refer-

ring to the different types of children whose cases were investigated, Professor Gould said their difficulties might be due to backwardness, delinquency or to emotional condition. Every year from 20 to 40 children were dealt with by the clinic. When a child was brought to the clinic the first thing required was something of its history. Investigations were made as to its home life, the outlook and attitude of its parents, and as to the antecedents of the parents. It might be a case of a child which had inherited defects, and if so, nothing could be done by the clinic. If necessary, the clinic sent some one to the home to find out what type of home conditions the child was living in. Enquiries were made into the physical history of the child to ascertain if it had suffered from any serious complaint that might account for its difficulties. The pregnancy of the mother, the child’s condition at birth, and the child’s mental-development were matters that were enquired into to see if there were anything out of the normal; when the child began to walk, and to talk, and all the information possible regarding the child’s history to the moment it came into the clinic. Every child was submitted to

some kind of test. SOME ACTUAL CASES. Citing actual cases that had come before the clinic, Professor Gould referred to a boy of 104 years, who was backward, knocked about other children, and was guilty of thefts, chiefly concerning machines. He could not read or write, and would never come home at night until 6, 7 or 8 o'clock, stating that he had been to the railway station. An Education Department officer had reported that the child was a low-grade, mental defective, and a doctor had backed up the departmental officer’s report. The clinic investigated the case and found that physically the boy’s condition w.as quite good, though his speech was most indistinct. He had begun to talk when a year old, fell off a table and hit his head, and did not talk again until he was five years old. Mentally he was equivalent to a child of 54 years. Performance, tests, however, showed that the boy was a mechanical genius. Steps were taken to get him changed over from the backward class at school to a normal class and to make use of his mechanical ability. He was put into standard 3, and the latest reports were that he was in standard 4, that his work was quite satisfactory, that he could read and write, and was perfectly happy, that there had been no further thefts, and he hid not interfere with other children. The boy had been associating with the wrong type when he was a member of the backward class and it was entirely wrong to regard him as a low-grade mental defective. His parents had been told before the clinic took up the case that be would never earn his own living. A SIDETRACKED BOY.

Another case investigated was that of a boy in which the father did not bother with him, but made a pet of his sister, while his mother tended to spoil him. This boy, 11 years 3 months old. was only in standard 2, whereas he had a mental age of 13, and should have been in standard 5 or 6. He had been sidetracked. The father was urged to take more interest in him. the boy was put into standard 3, and was now in Standard 4—all this took place in six months. The boy was now near the top of his standard. Another case related to a boy of 9 years, who could not learn to read, although he was otherwise very clever at school. His father, a headmaster, had spent hours trying to teach the boy to read. The clinic investigated the case and found that the muscular control of the boy’s eyes was defective, and that he could only see vague outlines when he attempted to read. A girl of four years three months was reported by her parents to be an inveterate liar. Her father was a clergyman, who lectured to her regularly on the evils of telling stories. All that the child wanted was a little bit of mother and father love. The father was given a good lecture. In another case, that of a boy of 13 years, it was found that he had been guilty of thieving, and was thrashed by his father on the slightest pretext. His intelligence was normal and he had no defects. He had never had money of his own and was shabbily dressed, and had developed a feeling of inferiority. Special work was found for him to do at school, for which he was paid, and there had been no more thefts or trouble.

A hearty vote of thanks to the speakers was moved by the Ven. Archdeacon E. J. Rich and carried by acclamation.