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160
Prior to attaining the age of 16 years, mentally handicapped
school-leavers are brought to the notice of the mental health
service and the question of "after-care" is settled by discussions
between the mental health officer and the school head. Similar
steps are taken with regard to maladjusted school-leavers at the
age of 15 years since these children are classified as mentally ill.
There is the closest co-operation between the Mental Health
Service and that of the Divisional School Care Organiser.
It is the policy for community care to cease at the age of 18
years provided employment is well tolerated and no adverse
reports are received.
Training Centres
Maze Hill Junior Training Centre
Purpose-designed on a difficult site this centre, opened at the
end of 1965, is organised on educational lines and every attempt is
made to create a "school" atmosphere in order to prevent the
dichotomy which could so easily arise between the health and
educational aspects of such an establishment.
No arbitrary limit is placed upon educability or ineducability,
each child being considered as an individual and, after his/her
aptitudes have been carefully assessed, the skills or functions,
however modest, which have a potential for development are
encouraged and exploited.
Behaviour and aptitudes have improved remarkably and the
parents and relatives of these handicapped children have been
made to feel that, at long last, education and training is a matter of
degree and not of segregation and priorities. Parents' confidence
has been restored and they feel able to face a future which now
holds a measure of promise hitherto denied them.
The centre provides for the accommodation of 112 children in
three main groups:—
1. Nursery
A unit serving the needs of 20 children between the ages of
and 5 years in the severely subnormal range including a few
selected subnormal children who suffer from specific problems
such as walking, speech, self-feeding or behaviour with a view
to their entering, eventually, a special school.
2. Training Centre
Catering for a total of 80 children between the ages of 5 and
16 years, this section is organised into four classes each of 20
children including a transition class for boys and girls aged 14 to
16 years.