Evening star., 1955-01-28
Citizen Group
ToPress Fight
For Retarded.
To Coll on D. c.
To Restore Cut
In School Budget
BY james G. Deone

sought by a citizens organiza-
tion which has led efforts ir
behalf of such children here.
Help for Retarded Children
Inc, plans to urge the Commits
sioners to reverse their action in
deleting the special funds. Lead
ers said they also expect to
testify when the city budget goes
before Congress.
The decision of the organiza-
tion, which plans to send 9
delegation to talk with the Com
inissioners, was taken at a meet
ing last night at which spokes-
men for four area school sys-
TENS outlined shortcomings in
their facilities for the handi-
capped. Represented were the
schools Of the District and Ar
lington. Montgomery and Prince
Georges counties.
The Star disclosed last Sun.
day that deletion by the District
heads of 1925 600 for special
teachers. most Of them for the
handicapped, is threatening to
intensity what school officials
regard as a critical lack of facili-
ties for children with low los
Handicap Others.
The situation also is leopard
izing the education of thousands
of normal children, according to
officials, because retarded pupils
are sharing regular classes with
them.
The Help for Retarded organ
ization. in a resolution, last night
called the budget cut "a blow to
the moral fiber Of the COM
munity."
The resolution declared:
whereas our children are
citizens as others children are
citizens, and we bespeak foi
them an opportunity for public
education which win enable
them TO develop to their capacity
as other children are accorded
an opportunity to develop, and
Whereas the disapproval by
the District Commissioners OF
the much-needed additional
teacher services for handicapped
children will deprive hundreds
OF our children Of any hope Of
an adequate education or train
ing. and
"Whereas this action is q blow
to the moral fiber of q COM
munity which must measure its
accomplishments IN terms Of
what 1t provides for the least
Of us as well as for the best,
cit is therefore resolved that
we, the parents and friends Of
these handicapped children, dc
respectfully petition the Com
missioners to restore to the pub.
lie budget adequate funds fol
these needed services for oul
children"
1000 in Glasses.
Mrs. Rosa H. Jones, specia
education director in the District
schools, told the meeting thai
the school system now has ar
estimated 1000 children in ele'
mentary schools alone who arr
believed to be retarded anC
should be placed in separatt
classes.
"These are children that need
all the help and service they car
get. They have a contribution
to make to society. Society owes
them a chance, and also need;
to help them so normal children
can get the attention they de.
serve" Mrs. Jones said.
The schools also have q seri.
Gus lack Of help for children
emotiopally disturbed. she said
adding that school officials them.
selves do not know how many
such children there are because
We have no psychological and
clinical force or facilities"
TITS a tragic picture when you
think about it," she declared,
adding:
I'VE should seek preventive
measures and not wait until a
child is l2 years old and seek
to do something about it then. "
Special School Lags.
Mrs. Jones also said facilities
for extremely retarded children
at the Military Road School
which were established last fall
largely as the result Of efforts
Of the Help for Retarded group
"are not what they should be. y
The $225. 900 budget item,
which the Commissioners de-
leted before they sent next win
ter's budget to the Federal Bud
get Bureau, included three more
teachers for this special school,
along with l8 for other retarded
classes, seven speech therapists
and eight remedial reading spe-
cialists, All these are sorely
needed in the handicapped pro-
gram, Mrs. Jones said.
Mrs. Dorothy Evans Of the
Montgomery County schools said
the county has 400 handicapped
children who should be put in
special classes II space and
teachers could be provided. She
said special education facilities
are "dreadfully lacking" on the
secondary level.
Or. Edwina Deans Of the Arl-
ington public schools. said:
We certainly have mentally
retarded children in our reglliai
classes but they seem to besgrow-
ing as well as they would in spe-
cial classes. When they don't. w
try to transfer them"
She added. however. that
sometimes limited facilities re-
unire making q choice between
children as to which is the most