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The presumption is that they are obtaining visual benefit. As nearly all the conditions found were
congenital, one would not expect immediate improvement in terms of visual acuity to be noticeable by the
observer, even in those cases where visual acuity was obtainable, but the optical conditions now provide a
clear image on the retina and the previous blurred image has been removed.
The figures speak for themselves in showing that by normal standards of ophthalmic care these
children have been neglected and that in the case of mongols a very high percentage have a defect of visual
acuity which warrants their being regarded as a special group "at risk" regardless of their mentality or their
presenting symptoms. In the case of mentally handicapped children, even more commonly than in normal young
children, the symptoms of defective visual acuity are suppressed, or masked by the presence of mental defect
and it is useless to use them as a guide to detecting even major visual defects.
In its final form this report will show that other defects are present, such as squints, cataracts and
poor vision for near work, but for the child's development and behaviour what matters most is how much
he sees clearly. It is my opinion that a mentally handicapped child, even if incapable of interpreting a clear
image on his retina, should not, therefore, be deprived of the opportunity to attempt this interpretation by
our disregard of refractive errors present.
I also think it is a pity that the teachers are not informed which children have good eyesight and
which do not.
The high myope in this training centre was regarded as being particularly intelligent and affectionate
because she used to come up to the teacher's desk to handle the material being used. Her range of clear vision
being about 9 inches, her behaviour is not surprising, but indicates her desire to see clearly, and in my opinion
she makes the plea for all mentally handicapped children to be properly examined and provided for."
The daily routine of more or less formal work is occasionally interrupted by outings of special
educational interest: for example: this year a dairy was visited and the London Zoo. The latter particularly
fired the children's imagination and, of course, the actual feat of going places has high social training as well
as educational value. Children that are conveyed daily by special coach find the very fact of buying a ticket
and paying out money on these outings quite a difficult exercise.
The long waiting list for admission to the Neasden Junior Training School and particularly to the
special care unit has made the provision of additional premises a necessity. Although a new school is to be
provided in conjunction with the School for Physically Handicapped Children at Stag Lane, Grove Park,
Kingsbury, I have felt that the need of these children is too urgent to await the building of this large project.
Thus consideration has led to the proposal for the conversion to a special care unit of the hutted building in
Balnacraig Avenue, which was vacated by the mental health social workers in July. A path is to be constructed
that will link the training school with the new unit. This project should alleviate at least some of
the demands made on parents whose difficult children are being looked after at home.
Adult Training Centres.
The age range of children attending the junior training schools is approximately from 5 to 16 years.
Whenever practicable, younger children are offered a place. At the upper age limit, the young people are
ready to leave the school for an adult training centre. Unfortunately, there is no such centre within this
borough, and the youngsters are allocated places at centres of other local authorities, i.e. Hounslow, Hillingdon
and Ealing. Because of waiting lists, a few children stay on at the Junior Training School over the age
of 16 years. Coaches organised by the other boroughs run within a fairly close distance of the trainees'
homes, but in certain cases a travelling distance of up to two miles to the picking-up point is expected of
them. Parents have expressed their resentment of this fact, and also of the occasionally quite long journey.
It would certainly be of great advantage to have an adult training centre within this borough.
Trainees are taught to work more or less on factory lines, doing mostly light assembly work and also
carpentry, gardening, etc. Industrial work conditions are approximated as much as possible to facilitate
eventual transfer to sheltered and even open employment whenever possible.
Social Club.
A club for mentally handicapped teenagers is run weekly in the evenings at the Neasden Junior
Training School. Parents have formed a committee which strives to offer as many activities as possible. Apart
from giving the youngsters indoor entertainment such as pop record sessions, darts, etc., it has also been
possible to provide a few coach outings. A mental health social worker attends as part of her duties, as it is
thus possible to keep in touch with young persons and their parents more readily than by individual home
visits, once they are out at work all day.
Summer Camps.
It has been the practice in the past to run summer camps for children attending junior training
schools and adult training centre trainees, and this year four children went to Park Place Residential School
near Henley-on-Thames, and thirty-seven to the permanent camp at St. Mary's Bay, Dvmchurch, Kent. It is
proposed to continue this venture in future years, in conjunction with other London Boroughs.