Laurel outlook., 1949-04-13
Tells Of Progress
By Palsy Victims
Thought Hopeless

hopeless cases OF cerebral palsy
was described today by Harlan
E. Lance, executive director OF
the Montana Society for Crippled
Children.
With a few brief, anonymous
sketches from official case his
tories, Lance substantiated his be-
lief that a significant number Of
children in custodial institutions
are educable and can be saved
for society, if society is willing
to make the effort.
One of the cases cited, that OF
a little boy who might be called
Bobby, first came to the atten-
ton of the state board of health
in 1945, through one Of it's itin-
Grant clinics. The child had been
born by caesarian operation about
five minutes after the death of
his mother, and had suffered
some brain damage due to suf-
location.
The opinion of the examining
physician in 1915 was de-
gree of mental deficiency will
greatly retard his physical de-
velopment." In 1947 after
Bobby had received special train
ling in muscle control and speech,
the same doctor said, "Child has
made great progress physically
and mentally. Is retarded, but
possibly because of physical all
ments."
This change of emphasis, ac-
cording to Lance, is typical. A
child afflicted by cerebral palsy
is often thought to be mentally
deficient. But after special
therapies have trained his body
in the normal modes of express
sion, it is conceded that the
mind itself is normal, and its
function subject only to the lin
itations of physical handicap.
Bobby is now a pupil at the
cerebral palsy training center at
Eastern Montana College of Ed
ucation in Billings, where special
education is financed by the an
nual sale of Easter seals. He
has learned to walk, his speech
is nearly normal, and psychomet-
ric tests have established his
intelligence as "above average"
! Bobby can look forward to a
comparatively useful and hap
Ply life. Ten years ago, Lance
said, he would have been COM
mitted to an insane asylum, with
out hope of happiness, and a
total loss to society.
Another little boy who lives
in southern Montana got off to
an equally bad start. When he
was IA days old, cerebral hemor-
rhage damaged that portion of
his brain which coordinates mus
cular activity. When this child
was four years old, he was I'M
able. to talk, walk or sit alone.
Doctors recommended a custodial
institution.
The child's mother refused to
accept this verdict. 1t was i'm
possible for her son to enroll at
the Billings center-the family
lived too far away. But there
apists here trained the mother in
special exercises. Working alone
with her son, she achieved such
encouraging results in two years
that the doctors noted evidence
of mental alertness and edu-
.cability."
The two cases cited, Lance said,
are unusually severe, but serve
to illustrate what can be done on
the outer fringes of the problem.
Hundreds of other children, less
seriously afflicted, are none-the-
less dependent on special facil-
tiles if they are to be educated
for useful citizenship.
Lance further emphasized that
these special facilities r not
unsupported. Montana has n
of the few really outstanding
programs for cerebral palsy in
the world" he asserted, "and the
work has been done entirely
through the generosity of Mon
tana's citizens in the annual pur-
chase of Easter seals. If this
program is to continue and to
expand, our Easter seal goal of
100000 for 1949 must be met"
The director explained that
GIT per cent of Easter seal
funds remain in Montana for the
support of the Montana program.
The small balance is sent to the
Chicago headquarters of the Ma
tional Society for Crippled Chill
dren and Adults, and is used to
provide the services of the
worlds leading specialists for
Montana clinics. One such clinic
was held in Missoula last month
by DR.. Meyer S. Perlstein of
Chicago, and others are sched-
uled for 1949 if the Easter seal
goal is reached, Lance concluded.
ed.
r. HT~