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Physiotherapy equipment has been kept to a minimum as it is agreed that these
children gain most from training with normal play things (pushers, walkers etc.) in the
use of their legs and with small toys and puzzles for manipulative skill. Most of these
children are so severely handicapped that the basic essentials of moving, standing,
supporting themselves and holding things are their main objectives. One or two are
so mentally retarded as well as spastic that they cannot actively co-operate in training.
After lunch at 12 o'clock, at which all but the very youngest or mentally retarded
now feed themselves although only one or two had attempted this at home, an hour's
rest and sleep for almost all precedes the afternoon's play and individual training. The
children with little or no speech have individual attention in picture and object naming,
and those with physical handicaps are helped with play according to their ability. Some
of the most severely spastic are seeing their world from the upright position, sitting or
standing supported, for the first time as they have spent the first years of life lying in
prams, cots or on the floor.
Tea is at 3.00 p.m. and after a short time of disorganised play the children are
collected at 4.00 and 4.30 p.m. to be taken home by coach.
The staff have appreciated the interest shown in their work by members of the
committee and visitors to the department, health visitors and the N.S.P.C.C. inspectors.
At Christmas, a party was held for the parents, to which the Mayor, Mayoress, Chairman
and Vice-Chairman came, and the children, who had been rehearsing for weeks, finally
tape recorded and performed a playlet. This in itself justifies the staff's pride in their
achievement of making these severely handicapped children as near normal as possible.
The parents come to the centre whenever they wish and are asked to attend when
the children are seen by the medical officer at regular intervals to discuss their progress,
and also come frequently to see Sister and learn how to handle any special problems they
may have, especially feeding. Immunisation for whooping cough, diphtheria and
poliomyelitis are all given to the children and any treatment recommended by the hospitals
they attend is carried out in close consultation with the hospital staff concerned.
What conclusions can we draw from this first experiment in the Borough in the
care of very young, handicapped children ? Firstly, that apart from their handicap they
are normal children with the same likes, dislikes, tempers, mischievousness and need of
discipline, and that they rapidly forget the enforced isolation of their home background
where they could not join in with healthy children, and develop a community spirit and
a noticeable lack of spiteful intolerance of other children's handicaps, so often seen in
normal children. That given the chance to do things for themselves and for each other
they will make rapid strides towards normality and learn to overcome their disability.
Visitors to the centre at playtime or at meal times comment that "if you didn't
know you'd think they were normal"—and that is the end in view—to give these children
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