The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-01-06
DEFECTIVE CHILD STUDIES.

District Superintendent Allison. of
the Chicago schools, thinks we have
been too sweeping in our classification
of below normal children. In conse-
quence we do injustice to many chill
dren. For one thing, we brand them
with an adjective of which some OF
the children and great many OF the
adults know some part of the mean
ing. 1t harms the child with himself
to know the significance OF his tag.
IL takes away some of his opportuni
ties.
In the second place, the treatment
given is not best for that subnormal,
although Ii is proper for the group.
Primarily, every child 2 years be-
hind the grade proper for his age
should be examined. He is retarded.
The question is why is he retarded?
1t may be because he is recently ar
rived foreigner and started late lin
his schooling. II may be that the
cause is a mental or q physical defect,
or 1t may be bad environment, or
something else.
Unless the reason for the retarda-
ton is plain, the mentality OF the child
should be tested by the Binet- Simon
test or some similar test Professor
Allison insists that the finding OF that
test should not be accepted as final.
To II the evidence OF teachers and
of home visitors is to be added and
on the three items decision as to the
classification OF the child and its ply
steal, mental and social treatment Is
TO be based. In this opinion he agrees
with Professor Holmes, OF Pennsyl-
| vania college, and with Professor
Sidis, OF Harvard.
A certain percentage will fall into
| Professor Allison's sixth group--the
| defective-the noneducable. This
| group includes the morons, the idiots
and imbeciIes. While Professor ALI
son does not treat OF this group since
| in theory in the Chicago system these
| are in institutions, we must not ac-
cept the statement that they are nom
educable or nonrainable too literally.
An 11-year moron must not stop
training at nine-year development.
| Professor Goddard goes so far as to
| advocate special work for morons and
| other higher grades of feeble minded
ness and training the subjects for
| that work.
In the Chicago tests per cent of
| the 1895 children were defective and
| IL per cent were on border line be-
tween this group and the group above.
DR. Kohn of the Bridewell, thinks that
| this border line group should be care
| fully studied and treated, each accord
ing to the decision in the particular
case. s#t uri
The Binet- Simon test is the best
single test for these border line cases,
| but it win mislead If not supplemented
by study OF the sociology of the in
| dividual and his environment.
Professor Allison makes the follow
| ing classifications:
| Backward children because Of I'M
| kindly mental gifts, able to become
| economically independent This group
| will take to training in handicraft
| work 'a..
Slowly developing children-natural-
| ly slow. ...a. D.
Variants, retarded because of I'M
! equal or one sided development of in
| terests or powers.
Retardates, because of physical de-
fects or illness or other removable
cause. ..
OF the 1885 children examined % per
| cent were retardates, 13 per cent vart-
| ants, 10 per cent slow developing, II
| per cent backward, as above, and 10
| per cent defective or border line. In
| his Judgment those above the border
| line cases and some of the border lines
/ should be cared for in special rooms
/ under special teachers, but In close
/ touch with other school children. The
less they are tagged the better.