Evening star., 1939-11-18
D. T.. Institution
forMenta||y III
Pupils Urged
Parents Reluctant to
Send Children to
Laurel, Board Told

A proposal to ask the Board of
Public Welfare to consider develop
ment of an institution for mentally
handicapped pupils in the District
rests before the Board of Education
today.
Such pipils who have been "ex-
cused" from public school attend
ance by the School Board are now,
in some cases, sent to an institution
at Laurel, Md.
In adopting report from a
special subcommittee dealing with
the mentally handicapped children
problem the boards Advisory Com
mittee last night declared that "ex-
perience has shown parents are
reluctant to cooperate in sending
their children to an institution as
far removed as Laurel"
The advisory group also adopted
reports calling for considerable
changes in the boards dealing
with children excluded from school
with social diseases and hard-of-
hearing children.
Education Provision.
Some provision should be made
for educating those excluded from
the schools because of venereal dis
eases, it was felt, possibly at the
clinic at which they received treat
ment. DR.. Joseph Murphy of the
Health Department, however, de-
clared it was hard enough to get
them to come from treatment, much
less try to teach them at the clinics.
Meanwhile, the committee be-
lieves these exclusions could be
kept to minimum with education
of teachers about the diseases, re-
search in the field medically, sani-
tary facilities in the schools and
homes. Close cooperation between
the Board of Education and the
Health Department in this field
was emphasized as necessary.
1t was further pointed out that
many of the victims excluded were
adolescent. Health teaching and
sex education for these children
was suggested as well as additional
recreational facilities.
Class Continuation Urged.
In dealing with the mentally
handicapped group, continuation of
present a typical and "occupational
classes" was recommended, but it
was suggested that they be in Junior
high school buildings where the chill
dren are of junior high school age
rather than in elementary schools
as they are at present.
Psychiatric service should be
available to public school children,
according to the committee. A
subcommittee headed by DR.. Mitch
ell Dreese of George Washington
University will report later on the
probable cost of such service.
1t was suggested the equipment
and supplies be provided for an
for these children.
For the deaf children, the COM
mittee recommended continuation
of the present procedure where the
children are taught at Kendall
School at District expense. Closer
administrative co-operat ton between
the Kendall and the public school
authorities was recommended with
the further provision that some
of the children now boarded at
Kendall could be day pupils if the
home provided the right environ
ment. This, it was believed, might
reduce expenses.
Wants Classification.
At the same time the committee
said much could be done in the
regular schools for the children
who we're not deaf but hard of hear
ing. Such children should be class
flied as to their hearing and special
facilities provided such as advan-
tageous classroom seating and
special room with amplifyers for
those quite hard of hearing.
A general program of conservation
of hearing along these lines should
be set up, it was thought. It would
also involve periodic hearing tests
of all school children.
Miss Betty c. Wright, chairman
of the subcommittee on the deaf
children, will report at later date
on the probable cost of the hearing
aids suggested in the report.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, presi-
dent of the Board of Education, is
chairman of the Advisory Com
mittee.