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Mention was made in 1967 that all Training Centre Establishments
had reached saturation point. There were no developments
in 1968 to improve the position but it is worthy of note that
Orpington Training Centre already "bursting at the seams" took
on five more trainees. The skill, compassion and selflessness of
our Training Centre staffs is boundless.
Research
In 1967 we were privileged to help St. George's Hospital with
their research into causes of subnormality.
In 1968 an approach was made by a College of Further
Education to provide material for a thesis leading to a Diploma
in Special Education to be prepared by a postgraduate student
resident in the Borough. Full help was given.
The research involved a questionnaire to be sent to every
mother with a mentally handicapped child under five. "Consumer
view" on the needs and services was sought.
Although the structure of the questionnaire was liable to
produce answers too emotive to be of value to a professional in
this field, the dissertation was accepted by the University of
London.
The findings of the survey and conclusions reached may give
a distorted view of the situation but they bring out forcibly the
"consumer point of view"—the viewpoint which matters most of
all.