Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-02
Committee Considers
Center 10 Educate
Crippled Children
Action on Proposal
Likely at Meeting
On November IS

The ADVISORY C0mmlttee on
Physically Handicapped Children of
the Beard of Education probably
will act November IS on proposal
to establish q special center for
crippled children of secondary
school level at the Langley Junior
High School.
Tho plan, q prelude to q long
range goal Of special school for
Handicapped children in the white
and colored divisions, was discussed
at the first meeting of the committee
at the Franklin School last night.
The classes would be for crippled
children in need Of physiotherapy
treatment and have the Endorsement
of DIR. Joseph A. Murphy, chief of
the school medical inspection service.
DR.. Murphy submitted tentative
list Of equipment which would be
necessary for such class and
pointed out that the materials can
be shifted to new school should
one be realized.
The committee, composed of
members of the school staff, the
Health Department staff, and a
number of private organizations
interested in handicapped children,
will meet November Is at 8 pm. at
the Franklin School to take action
on some of the matters that came
up last night.
Consider Many Factors.
With Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle,
chairman, presiding. the members
considered a wide range of problems
affecting the physically handi-
capped.
First Assistant supt. of Schools
Robert L. Haycock outlined the
pending w. P. A. project for
visiting teachers now awaiting the
Presidents signature and indica-
tons were given that private Or
CARNATIONS may, in some instances,
contribute to the visiting teacher
program if it would not affect the
w. P. A. plan.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou pointed
out that the w. p. A. project as
contemplated Is only about half the
original proposal OF the schools.
Private assistance, he said, would
release w. P. A. teachers for visiting
work elsewhere.
Although no action was taken,
indications were strong that the
committee will not attempt to in
clude in visiting instruction the 201
children excluded from the Dis
trict schools as non educables."
Miss Jessie La Sale, assistant
superintendent in charge Of the Re-
search Department of the schools
said no child is recommended for
exclusion unless it is absolutely
mentally unable to profit from any
sort of instruction. She said 1t
would interfere with instruction of
children who could profit by the
teaching to have the nom educables
included in the visiting teacher pro-
posal.
Social Diseases Considered.
Taking up the case of children out
Of school because of social diseases
the committee was told by DR..
Murphy efforts are now being made
to determine more exactly just
which children have the diseases In
communicable form. This procedure
is expected to reduce materially the
number of such children who must
be excluded, he said. There are now
333 of these.
He said he would study the prob
lem of classes in the Health De-
partment clinics, but pointed out
that the children are not long or
regularly in attendance at the
clinics.
The problems of sight and hear
ing conservation were briefly touched
upon and will be discussed at length
ut later meetings, it was said.
In connection with the aim of
new buildings for the physically
handicapped, DR.. Ballou said they
were contemplated in the five-year
building program Of the schools.
The schools would, if possible, be
located near the Children's and