Evening star., 1938-07-13
TestingChild
For Genius
Is Useless
Experience May
Prove Injurious
To YOungster.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

A MOTHER wants to know where
she can have her 4-year-old
child tested to ascertain what degree
Of power in intelligence and in dra-
matte acting she has. If she Is a
genius, and many of our friends say
she Is. I want to start training right
away. If she isn't, then, Of course.
there is no use. Where can she be
tested?"
I don't know. And I don't know
Of any test that will disclose the sort
Of genius this parent wants to find
in her child. As far as my experience
goes with such little children, and it
is very limited, the genius stamping
them stands out and no test is
required.
1t is Just as well to say right at
the start that, in my opinion, testing
infants to discover what genius, if any.
they possess. with an eye to training
for the stage. radio and the movies, is
Just too bad. If the child has genius
he has it, and no test alters the mat
ter. II he hasn't, no test will help.
Sometimes 1t injuries the child be-
cause it - affected by the expert
ences 1t has had. and such children
usually have been taught some tricks
by admiring elders. II these are what
call tricks, and not the expression
Of rooted genius. they falsify the
record, and mislead teachers and
parents.
I dislike the idee Of infants being
trained to earn money. I think child
hood and infancy are sacred to
growth. and working for . living comes
after that. Adolescence Is the time
for training children to work, usually
starting about the age Of IL and con-
tinuing for years to come. Most
children grow that way best.
Artists are another. matter. II
training does not begin early here
the art Is likely to suffer, and the
spirit Of the child artist suffers q,
well. would train artists early, from
infancy on. with the utmost care. But
tests for art and artists, I doubt them
deeply. As for earning q living in
infancy, I dread the affects of that
on the children and on their parents
Children who are professionals o1
the stage and radio and movies are
usually children of professional parents
working in the field of their gifts
No test is needed here. The parents
know quickly whether the child has
gift. And such children are well
cared for in the professional schools
They serve with their own people and
gather experience and training in
apprenticeship. Their test is the
quality Of the work they do. 1t il
severe and honest. It is, or It Is not
and that is the end Of it.
People who have had no experience
in the dramatic field should be most
cautious about discovering such geniu.
in their children. It Is possible. Thu
best way to make certain about 1t i
to place the child among . group ol
professionals. In the professiona
school; let him live there a while, anc
watch what happens. Genius is nevel
planted in q child. 1t is born in him
The test Of 1t Is his expression. hi.
natural, joyful expression of an innel
self.
Mr.. Patri has prepared . leaflet
entitled, Lying" in which he telll
parents the causes Of this habit ane
how to help children to overcome it
Send for 1t, addressing your request
to Mr.. Angelo Patri, Child Psychology
Department Of this paper. Inclose {
self-addressed, stamped (3-cent) en-.
velope.
(Copyright. 193s.)