Evening star., 1931-04-26
Advisory Committee Told
Joining of institutions
Would Be Benefit.
TALBOT FOR PLAN, BUT
FACILITIES LACKING
$500, 900 Would Enable Children S
Hospital tc Perform Dual
Service, He Says.

Incorporation Of the present schools
for crippled children with the Chill
drens Hospital and the resultant
major emphasis being placed on medi-
cal care rather than education was
recommended by DR.. Frank w. Ballou
superintendent of schools, at the meet
ing yesterday Of the Advisory Commit
tee on the future status Of the schools
for cripples.
While this suggestion was concurred
in by DR.. John Allen Talbot. the Chill
dren's Hospital representative on the
committee, he pointed out that Chill
dren's Hospital at present lacks even
adequate facilities for the demands
made upon 1t and that greatly in
creased facilities would have to be pro-
vided II the proposed incorporation OF
the two institutions is carried out. Al
though definite figures on the cost of
the establishment OF the crippled chill
dren'S schools at Children's Hospital
have not been compiled, $500, 900 was
mentioned in the meeting as an ap-
proximate cost of setting up the medi-
cal equipment necessary for the estab-
lishment Of schools at the hospital. DR..
Talbot announced that If $500. 900"
can be appropriated for such facilities
and the District Board of Education
will send visiting teachers to provide
the educational program for the Grip
pied youngsters, Children's Hospital
would willingly undertake to operate
the dual institution.
No Final Decision Reached.
No final decision was reached, but
another meeting of the committee, and
its last Of the current year, was set for
some time next month. Although
there was no difference Of opinion in
the session on the kind Of service the
crippled children should receive, there
was a lack Of unanimity on the ad-
ministration of such an institution.
There seemed no definite agreement
that the schools for crippled children
shall remain under the complete iuris-
diction Of the school board. whether
it should be transferred entirely to
Children's Hospital or whether the
Jurisdiction be shared by both agencies.
DR.. Harry A. Ong. medical inspector
who investigated the crippled children's
schools, recommended that the stigma
OF the word cripple" should be elm
mated from the identification accorded
the schools for these unfortunate pu-
pills. Dr.. Ong declared further that
the present system Of assigning Grip
pied children to these special schools
Is inadequate since a child Is admitted
solely on the opinion Of a medical in
spector. He recommended that chill
dren be admitted only attc- their Eases
have been studied by a committee
which, he suggested. should include not
only medical men but educators who
would be in professional position
to decide whether the child's mental
capacity was such that he could pe
educated.
Question Of Chief Need.
In his address to the committee, Dr.
Ballou said the cruX CT the problem
involving the crippled children of the
schools was whether the chief problem
was medical or educational. He vas OF
the opinion 1t vas the former.
II believe" DR.. Ballou said. that
the reeds. OF these crippled children
are rine-tenths medical, and II We IN
the schools are to attempt % meet that
need We must have a fine new building
with all the medical equipment neces-
sary to provide the treatment demanded
For that reason I believe further that
these schools should be associated with
the hospital, where duplication Of eX-
pensive medical facilities would not be
necessary and where we OF the schools
could send teachers"
DR.. Ballou added tnat the school
beard had been unable to approve more
than one-tenth of the recommendations
which Or. Joseph A. Murphy, school
medical inspector of the Health De-
partment. had made for equipment in
the crippled schools.