Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1961-08-04
Hope Ahead For
The Home Bound

NEW YORK (AP)-Their
lives are circumscribed by four
walls. They have never been in
side a school. And their dreams,
the kind all children have must
be carefully conditioned for a BIZ
eak future.
These are the thousands OF hand
icapped youngsters in the nation
who are homebound, destined to
a lifetime OF dependence on 9TH
ers-family. friends. perhaps str
angers later.
Up until now. II the pattern
varied il was only in degree. But
five-year pilot project by the
Federation of the Handicapped ho-
Ids promise of help.
The prevocationa evaluation St
udy was launched in 1859 TO de-
tarmine whether or not home
bound adolescents when proper
ly trained, could Dpe TO become
adults.
At the end of II, second year,
Jean Bloom. redhaired coordina-
tor, says cautiously:
I'm optimistic. Some cases
won't be successful. but we now
see some areas where these young
sters can be employed"
The figures are encouraging:
AZ enrolled in the project cap
able of working, either at home,
or enter the Federation's instru-
ment repair work division on a
learn-and earn training basis.
OF the 22 remaining, IS will go
back in the fall for the second
year of evaluation. Only 3 were
dropped from the program as un-,
able to be considered for work.
The New York program. financ-
ed by city, state and federal funds,
is an expensive operation loaded
with psychiatrists, psychologists,
therapists and training instructors.
A small community couldn't af-
ford il. But what the group learns
from its five years of study will
be put into a manual that a small
community could modify for its
own needs.
What's a typical day in the pro-
ject?
In the morning the teen-agers
dicuss general areas OF occupa-
ton: job personality (you can't
tell the boss off, for example) and
how to write application letters.
Employment interviews. which al
most everyone is afraid of, are
acted out.
IN the afternoon the youngsters
are given projects to complete,
and their work is evaluated. The
jobs include FASTING. selecting CO..
lored wires for electrical projects,
and various tasks to show dex-
terity and possible aptitude for
metal and jewelry lathe work, ra-
do repair. mechanical drawing
and clerical work-inserting col
lating. tipping. switchboard.
MANY have emotional problems
as a result of their handicaps,"
says Miss Bloom. "We offer Their
apy to get over feelings of help
lessness and depression and to en-
courage them to use their talents"
Some IL year olds couldn't
leave their mothers. who had to
come with them everytime. After
seeing psychologists for awhile,
they become weaned, and made
the trip by themselves in special
buses.
Mothers have had to take
so much care of them, unless
they're encouraged to be indepen-
dent, the teen-agers often act more
like babies"
Psychiatric counseling is given
mothers, sometimes fathers on a
limited basis.
Occasionally families won't ac-
cept the fact that their child is re-
tarded or disabled.
At the other extreme is the pa
rent who neglects the child One
lad in a wheelchair tells fantas-
tic stories of how his father takes
him out fishing just like a pal.
Actually. the father rejects him
and the submissive mother offers
no protest