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185
SECTION IX.
MENTAL DEFICIENCY.
The staff of the department dealing with the mentally
defective consists of the Medical Officer of Health and the Deputy
Medical Officer, who are certifying officers; two whole-time
Visitors; the Supervisor of the Occupation Centre, with three
helpers.
There are two main administrative groups of mentally
defectives, viz.:—
(a) The Statutory Cases, who consist of certified mental
defectives under 7 and over 16 years of age; ineducable mentally
defective children between the ages of 7 and 16 years; and children
referred to the Local Control Authority under the Mental
Deficiency Act, 1913, as being incapable of further education at
a Special School or of being incapable of such education without
detriment to other children.
(b) Education Cases, who consist of mentally defective
children between the ages of 7 and 16 years who are capable of
instruction in a Special School.
The former group are dealt with by the Mental Deficiency
Committee, and the latter by the Education Committee.
The main sources of notifications of school children suspected
to be suffering from mental defects are received from School
leachers and the School Enquiry Officers. Sources of information
regarding cases not coming within the category of school
children are mainly the Infant Welfare Centres, Health Visitors,
I'robation Officers, Private Practitioners and Social Workers.