Evening star., 1937-01-05
ter to
Consult the
Specialist t
w hen M entail or
PHYSICAL Defects Are
Apparent.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

THE most encouraging fact in the
world Of chiid-rearing is the nor
NAL tendency to health and good be-
havior common to the vast host OF
children Very few. comparatively. are
not healthy and normal. Healthy ones
do fall sick. make mistakes, get into
trouble, occasionally. They can always
be handled by their parents and teach
ers and family physicians. The odd
ones, the little group that are like the
foxes that spoil the grapes, need the
specialists.
When is a specialist needed? When
a child fails to do what other children
do without much trouble: when, after
much teaching, Furnishing. many
trials of one sort or another, all Of
which have failed; when after many
visits the family physician says, Il
don't see anything wrong with him. but
he certainly cannot be all right when
he behaves like this" it Is time to see
the specialist who has devoted his life
to the study Of such problems.
People wait too long to make this
step. Sometimes they are afraid to
hear what the specialist will say. Or
they are afraid Of the cost. They hope
the child will outgrow his trouble.
One Of the neighbors said that her
George was just like this and he got
over it. Don't take that chance. You
don't know what allied George any
more than you know what ails your
own child
Some children don't begin to talk
at the usual time. Day after day there
is no change. Such q child makes no
attempt to talk and gets into RACES
when his mother tries to force him to
speak for what he wants. The neigh
bors say, he'll talk by and by. See
he says, marina Oh, he will talk"
The doctor looks troubled. His threat
seems to be all right. No sign Of para
lysis anywhere. Teeth coming In all
right. Well, II he doesn't talk seon
we'll have to look into It," He means
We will have to see the speech special
list, who works In the speech clinic and
the throat and mouth department Of
the hospital.
Children who fail to talk on time,
who cannot speak plainly, need prompt
attention. Those who do not seem to
be interested in what Is going on about
them, but sit for hours without show
ing a sign Of life save in their breath
ing, need attention. Maybe they are
hard Of hearing. Maybe they are suf-
fering from q hidden cause. Don't
wait too long. See the skilled child
specialist as soon as you can. Your
doctor will know where to find this
specialist and the doctors always grade
their charges to the ability to pay.
When children fail to learn to read
and all attempts at teaching them fail,
when glasses do not help, and coaching
fails, see the specialist at the psychol-
ogy clinic. There IL q reason, and the
specialist will discover it. Don't lose
precious time. When the cause Is
found the cure can be effected. II there
Is q cure.
It Is not always possible to remedy
the defects that cause failures. II that
Is the condition the sooner 1t Is known
the better. The CHILD must then be
helped to overcome his handicap and
that means an early start. Call in
the specialists the men and women
who have devoted their lives to the
study Of children's defects and get all
the help there Is to be had for them.
Don't wait for time to heal the dim
culties.
(Copyrisht. 1e37l