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also cause difficulties for other children attending these nurseries.
A group of children of this type was admitted to the unit which
was set up at Parklands Infants' School on the 1st November.
The class is in the care of Miss Reynish, a qualified teacher
with experience of very young children, and Mrs. Inkpen, the
Nursery Assistant, who is also a State Registered nurse and has
had considerable nursing experience since qualifying.
The children attend from approximately 9.15 a.m. to 3.30
p.m. each day, being escorted to and from the class by their
parents. They have their meal in their own room and the staff
eat with them. After this they have a rest of about half an
hour on their beds. The timetable for the rest of the day is kept
flexible and periods of quieter and more active play are informally
interwoven. The Headmistress of the school supervises the class
and makes provision for them to have the use of the school hall
on a few occasions each week so that they have experience of
larger space than their own classroom.
On the 1st November three children were admitted, two of
them having severe behaviour disorders and the third being a
girl who had made a good response to psychiatric treatment while
waiting for admission to the class. One of the boys was very
aggressive and the other very over-demanding of his mother and
given to quite hysterical outbursts of crying and screaming. For
about three weeks these three children needed the full attention
of the adults, but at the end of that time it was possible to admit
a second girl who was less disturbed within herself but seemed
unlikely to make a good beginning at school when she reached the
age of five unless she had more experience of freedom to play than
it was possible for her to have in her own home. After a further
period of two weeks, the boys became considerably calmer and the
work of the staff began to take effect. At this stage, two brothers
were admitted and these were children who had much experience
of parenral quarrelling during the day because the father was on
night work and could not tolerate them making any sound in the
house, so that they had become withdrawn and intimidated. The
six children were quite active together and by the end of the term
had all begun to show considerable improvement.
Dr. Vincenzi was very satisfied with the progress which had
been made during these first few weeks and would very much like
to continue this type of treatment, and extend it where possible.
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