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(1) Therapy. The first purpose of a Child Guidance Clinic
is to deal with the individual cases actually referred to its care.
(2) Prevention. A second important task is to have dealings
with all. those who are concerned with the upbringing and welfare
of children to acquaint them on the one hand with therapeutic
functions of the clinic, but on the other, to bring to their notice
a body of knowledge aimed at preventing psychological disturbances
in childhood, and maintaining mental health.
(3) Research. A third function is to add to and clarify this
body of knowledge.
The therapeutic function is the main topic of this report.
The Maladjusted Family.
Children are sent to the Child Guidance Centre because some
aspect of their behaviour gives cause for anxiety to someone in
their environment—the family doctor may feel perplexed by repeated
attacks of asthma not yielding to medical treatment, the teacher
may be concerned about poor progress or unruly behaviour at
school, the parents may be in distress over a child's state of fear,
or at their wits end because of his temper and destructiveness.
Finally, Probation Officer or Magistrate may ask for further
elucidation in some case of frank delinquency. All these persons
are apt to approach a Child Guidance Clinic saying, in effect,
" There is something wrong with this child, can you put it right ? "
To this question there is no simple answer. The Clinic sees itself
presented with two problems :
(1) Diagnosis.
(2) Disposal.
Diagnosis.
The typical Child Guidance Case is described as a 4'maladjusted"
child. " Maladjusted is a word that has only recently been
used in its present sense, but it now has official status granted it
by the Ministry of Education. No very exact definition has ever
been attempted from the Child Guidance point of view, but its
value lies in the emphasis placed on the social aspects of the problem.
When we speak of a child as maladjusted we are concerned not
with the state of his soul or even with his mental health, but with
the fact that he is at variance with his environment—not merely
with his own family but with the social group to which his family
belongs. Similarly, when we say that a family is maladjusted
we have in mind the standard conventions and behaviour of the
appropriate social group, and the failure of that family to conform
to them. No moral judgment is implied; the family may deviate
from the norm for the most admirable reasons. The Child Guidance