, 1923-05-09
L
OF WYOMINC'S
AID FOR BACK
WARD CHILDREN
Continued from Page y

iiehtai ana physical examinations, an
attempt is made to help the teacher
to a better understanding of her
children and to adapt the work to in
dividual needs.
Children in rural or city schools in
need of immediate attention outside
n ordinary procedure of the public
schools are examined at the earliest
possible moment and recommends
tons made for training or treatment.
These cases are then followed up un-
til the recommendations are carried
out. The follow up work may consist
of operations, medical treatment,
special instruction in home or school,
care in a residence school or commit
ment to a state institution. When
parents are unable to pay the expense
involoved, this is cared for by the
Division of Special Glasses or through
cooperation of this division with local
organizations. More than $500 was
spent by the State Special Class Di-
vision during the last two year for
these special cases. Cleft palates
have been repaired, crippled bodies
Strengthened, cataracts removed and
instruction brought to children who
can not attend school.
One of the most important activi-
ties of the Special Class Division is
the giving of mental surveys. Com
plete or partial surveys have been
made in Hanna, Kemmerer, Rawlins,
Newcastle, Buffalo, Greybull and
many smaller towns. Future surveys
are to include Basin, Gillette, Powell
and Cody. In these mental surveys
a many-sided study of each child is
made. This is followed by recommen
d%ations for his educational treatment
1t is found that many children can
complete the work of the first eight
years in six or seven years, others
need nine or ten years.
Investigation has revealed the fact
that one-fourth of the school children
never get beyond the fifth or sixth
grade. Approximately 40 per cent
reach the high school and only 10
per cent ever reach the fourth year
high school. Research in the field
of Education and Psychology is show
ing that the fault lies not in the child
but in the fact that the schools of the
past have made provision only for the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS child.
The school of today is attempting
to overcome retardation and failure
and dropping out of school, first by
studying the needs, physical, mental,
D nctal onl pl,,e{,a1 &c Al ol.1lu1-
under its care, then by changing the
school to meet these needs.
Here is one example of the charact
er of the work that is being done
among the unfortunate children of
the state by the special classes divi-
sion:
"The Unfortunate Family" lived on
a ranch in one of the remote corners
of Wyoming, many miles from the
railroad. The family was reported to
the Special Class Division by neigh
bors because the children who had
been excluded from school, "lived like
wild animals, running in the woods
if anyone approached and making
cries like coyotes" 1t was the lack
of a%rticulate speech which enlisted
the sympathy of the neighborhood.
A visit to the home showed that re
ports had portrayed only a small part
of the story. Inefficiency and pow
erty were evident upon every side.
The family consisted of seven. The
father, though evidently below normal
mentally, was able to arr enough to
supply part of the family's needs.
Kind neighbors sent in additional
food from time to time. The home
presided over by the mother was
nearly bare. On the table were black
bread and sugar, apparently the fami
ly dinner.
The two Oldest boys of 90 and 81
years respectively were unable to
work due to mental inability. The
older of these, both in movement and
speech, resembled a grizzly bear.
After much ~reassuring and coaxing
with candy the three youngest child
rem were finally persuaded to come in
from the underbrush where they had
hidden from visitors. These children,
a boy of IL and one of Q and n girl
of 8, were the objects of the visit.
Examinations of the two boys show
ed both to have a mentality between
3 and 4 years, the lack of ineligible
speech being due to environment and
poor mental equipment. 1t was OBJ
viously impossible for the average
teacher to cope with this grade of
mentality and defective speech in the
regular school.
With much difficulty the County
physician and the State Director of
Special Glasses were able to persuade
the jury that the State Training
Schnnl nj Lander WINS the only school