Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-02-02

oasea upon Q personal inspection Of the
homes, the special pedagogical reports
given by teachers such as samples of
writing. spelling and workmanship of
the child, with photographs wher
p~rocurable. with dental and facial
casts, are carefully classified and filed
for future reference. At the University
of Pennsylvania over 400 are on file at
the present ts.e. AS the collection in
%creases. the value of such documents
will increase.
The clinic is also a clearinghouse
for children. 1t occupies an inter-
mediary position between the initial
act, when the child is rirst taken in
hand for proper treatment, and it's
final disposition in the proper place for
deficient child will suffer from either
alternative of two possible courses.
Misunderstood at school. uncared for
at home, with no attempt at a remedy
under the vain and vague delusion
that he will outgrow his dullness."
pick up bad habits. to deteriorate
steadily mentally and physically until
a precocious aptitude for crime lands
him in some penal institution or an
early-acquired Shiftlessness enlists him
in the great army of ne'er-do-wells or
beggars. In either case he becomes a
threat and burden to the community.
The opposite method Of treatment
usually springs from the ambition OF
the parents. Knowing the best sides
Of their children. they are painfully
10th to believe the child of their am
them but actually must be assigned
to the fearful class known as weak
minded" Selling upon the child's
marvellous memory for obscure and de-
tached details. Or upon its wonderful
musical ability the parents dwell upon
these qualities. To their minds it
be l%aziness, or ~inattention. or
carelessness that prevents van at
school. They press the poor, weak
brain to tasks entirely beyond it. They
high-grade imbecility falls to the
abysmal gloom OF idiocy.
There are 100000 children in the
United States I'll this class and one
tenth of all children are below par
n mentally y, ph ,Mlsgads ~ .so the aso, pu ublic
dren have been found and are under
special observation. How many OF
them are being deprived of any educa-
ton because of their lack of mentality
and, therefore, roam the streets at will
no one knows. Certain it is that
every hamlet. every village. every town
and every large city has it's quota of
children designated as foolish
silly" mot all there" or lacking in
the upper story" Heretofore they
nave DeeN thought W ne ODJeCIS Oh
special visitations of Providence, &C
copied as burdens by their parents or
by the community and 40 special eff
fort made or even thought Of for the
alienation of their condition. In this
wide field. the psychological clinic finds
it's unique function. 1t instructs pop
ular opinion and by opening the door
of opportunity compels the guardians
of such children to take the proper
means of bringing them up to the
full capacity of which they are cap
able. In almost every case this is at
least to the point of %self-support and
assuredly in every case h saving of
the Individual from untold suffering.
Out of such public agitation event
ually grow legislation which will not
only expend itself in housing, feeding
and training imbeciles. but will see to
it that the community protects itself
by careful segregation and prohibition
of marriage among those known to be
subnOrmal.