The Lincoln times., 1956-05-07

industry" in this little south
eastern Kansas town is the re-
shaping of personalities who face
life with a cruel handicap.
Here. on 160-acre tract, stands
the Parsons State Training School
of Mentally Retarded Children. 1t
has monthly payroll of SOS, 1000,
an operating budget of $1,750.O00.
The institution is understood
md respected in town.
Il hear they're doing wonders
FOR those kids" a high school
jeacher says.
Now that the ordnance plants
closed down." a merchant COM
mented, they're our biggest in
dustry. The states putting real
money into it."
A doctor: They've let the day
light in and gone to work"
Gone to work the institution
has, with a dramatic new ap-
proach which, it's advocates be-
lieve, is placing the Parsons School
in the front ranks of the attack on
m e n t | retardation - an attack
that has been gaining momentum
in the nation over the past five
years.
The architect of Parsons new
look is a burly. blunt-spoken psy-
chiatriSt named Howard v. Bair.
DR.. Bair took over as superin-
tendent less than three years ago.
Since then, a grim, priSon-like es-
tablishment where epileptics and
feeble-minded patients once frit-
tered their lives away has been re-
o, ganized into bustling clinical
center.
Behind the shift from custody
and rather perfunctory training"
to emphasis rehabilitation is
program based on two key prin-
ciples:
l. PSychiatry, the bra nc h of
medicine that deals with the cauS-
eS and treatment of mental ill
ness. must lead the way in train
ing, education, and treatment of
mentally handicapped children.
TOTAL PUSH CONCEPT
2. All available scientific re-
sources must be mobilized for the
job, and treatment must be as
prompt, intensive and Individual
lied as possible. This is known as
the total push" concept, employed
at Kansas m n a institutions
where record of steadily mount
ong cures have justified it.
I'm themselves" DR.. Bair said
"the principles aren't revolution
airy. but rolled into one consistent
program they give us something
pretty unique"
The program is costly. 1t de-
mandS a large staff; Parsons has
a staff of $50. But DR.. Bair figures
that of the 500 or so mentally re-
tarded patients. ranging in age
from six to 81, about 200 will
eventually be restored to outside
life under the total-push program.
The main concern of Parsons
psychiatrists is with the emotional
development of the children. RE
tardation," Dr.. Bair explained, lis
usually accompanied by serious
nervous and emotional disorders
We feel the Importance of this has
often been overlooked.
Our therapy is aimed at solv-
ing these emotional difficulties,
and to clear the way for each
child's mind to achieve its high
est possible development in the
educational and training pro-
grams"
FREEDOM STRESSED
Every effort is made to stress
individual competence and worth.
ClassroomS and dormitorieS are as
cheerful as the antiquated build
ines permit. There's busy beauty
shop for the girls, intended both
as an instrument of vocational
training and for Sprucing up per-
Sonal appearance. The children Sc
lect their own clothing from
bulging store acquired with an eye
to maximum variety. There is no
institutional garb. An atmosphere
Of fraedOuo iS caref,,lly p11rt1lred