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Special schools for handicapped children
SPECIAL
SCHOOLS
~-OR
ttANDICAPPED
CHILDREN
177
SUMMARY
A Survey is presented of 940 males of varied age, colour, national origin and social class. Of this number, 43.8% showed faecal contamination of lheir underpants, and 8'6% were not accustomed to wearing underpants at all. Some possible causes are mentioned and an attempt has been made to suggest .steps to counteract the problem. The general conclusion being that wc tolerate a concealed dirtiness of a kind widespread in the community whilst arguing loudly in public for cleanliness in matters of a lesser importance.
SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN It has been represented to the School Health Service Group cd ttte Society of Medical Officers of Health that from time to time problems arise in cmmectio~ with the admission of handicapped children to ~specialschools" or their discharge ./)'om such schools which indicate the need for close and understanding co-operation between school medical ofcers and other persons concerned in this important work. This memorandlon has been drawn up by the Group amt presented to the Council of the Society, which has approved its publication. Because of the need to consider local conditions and to trent each case on its merits it is impossible and undesirable to make definite rules and the docmne~zt is therefore published as a general guide and suggested code of practice. WHEN difficulties arise between members of the reed ical and teaching professions they are often the result of defects in administrative procedures or misunderstandings arising from the attitudes and disciplines of two distinct professional bodies. Difficulties could be avoided if agreernent existed amongst all the persons involved, head teacher, medical officer and education officer, as to the functions of a school, the size of classes arid the administrative arrangeinents for the admission and discharge of children. Within their various categories there is substantial variation between special schools, and it is not to be automatically as~umed that any school catering for a particular class of handicapped child would be suitable for every child in that class. The normal elasticity of most schools enables them to deal successfully with children who depart a little from the average of their category but there will always be a certain number of handicapped children who, because of the severity of their handicap, the presence of subsidiary or secondary disabilities, or emotional or social difficulties will require special care and consideration and will make exceptional demands on the school to which they are sent. For such children certain schools are likely to be more suitab!e than
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,,l)~'r,, ~r~ Ii~..' ,<~mc (,ilici:~l c',~(egorv. FLlrthernlc~re,
t
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since such exceptional
,t~ildxc~ ~i~;~kc ``,,_'~~ h
imtx~ttant lh,lt the school medical ol]]cer should he alert t,, rcc~,~!i)~,,c ,,~l,.h ,,portal c;~,,cs :tn,J that xvhoe\cr is responsible fc)r ti]ading i~i;~,_v'~, ft,t thrill in ,,pccial ~,ch~sls sht)ulct m:tkc at)plicalion to those schools ,,,.l:i<): ;irc l:l,,,,t likcl\ t<> be ethic to> illeet tiacii-peculiar needs. Furthermore, if ,~ l~v,c~ctIc,l,.l~ct lccl,,/l~at to aclll)il zl txirticul;~r child would prejudice the interests 'i" ,'{}}CI-L;)}i)~.tl'C[a }li:', t'~pillit)t'l ,,h~)uld hc given full weight. I,, t~:cct ~hc>c >,'qc:i::c~cn~, it i~, cssenti:~l that there should be provision ,~,'-c,~,,ul~:tti<,n bcl;,ccn the ~,cltool mcdical el!leer, any medical or" other ,,),c:,,-(:~)i,,t,, ``~1:,~tl~:~x have a c~,ntiihutic)n to make. the education officer a n d lhc )~c:~d tcc~c)lcr. In the c:~sc of children under the age of live, the child welfare iilcdlc:~l ,,))i~,c.I (il" nt~l the >idcrit~g the discharge of a child fl'om a special school or class, cr mu,,,t bc given to medical, educational and social factors. In deciding ,.'ðer he should be discharged and the most appropriate time for his dischal-gc, co-operation and consultation should be as full and careful as it x``as v, hen his admission was being considered, I(
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tl~c>:fl;~c,
SCHOOLS
~-OR
ttANDICAPPED
CHILDREN
177
SUMMARY
A Survey is presented of 940 males of varied age, colour, national origin and social class. Of this number, 43.8% showed faecal contamination of lheir underpants, and 8'6% were not accustomed to wearing underpants at all. Some possible causes are mentioned and an attempt has been made to suggest .steps to counteract the problem. The general conclusion being that wc tolerate a concealed dirtiness of a kind widespread in the community whilst arguing loudly in public for cleanliness in matters of a lesser importance.
SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN It has been represented to the School Health Service Group cd ttte Society of Medical Officers of Health that from time to time problems arise in cmmectio~ with the admission of handicapped children to ~specialschools" or their discharge ./)'om such schools which indicate the need for close and understanding co-operation between school medical ofcers and other persons concerned in this important work. This memorandlon has been drawn up by the Group amt presented to the Council of the Society, which has approved its publication. Because of the need to consider local conditions and to trent each case on its merits it is impossible and undesirable to make definite rules and the docmne~zt is therefore published as a general guide and suggested code of practice. WHEN difficulties arise between members of the reed ical and teaching professions they are often the result of defects in administrative procedures or misunderstandings arising from the attitudes and disciplines of two distinct professional bodies. Difficulties could be avoided if agreernent existed amongst all the persons involved, head teacher, medical officer and education officer, as to the functions of a school, the size of classes arid the administrative arrangeinents for the admission and discharge of children. Within their various categories there is substantial variation between special schools, and it is not to be automatically as~umed that any school catering for a particular class of handicapped child would be suitable for every child in that class. The normal elasticity of most schools enables them to deal successfully with children who depart a little from the average of their category but there will always be a certain number of handicapped children who, because of the severity of their handicap, the presence of subsidiary or secondary disabilities, or emotional or social difficulties will require special care and consideration and will make exceptional demands on the school to which they are sent. For such children certain schools are likely to be more suitab!e than
,
t'I
)il
I(
tlf
,'.,t
IIt
\ (~1
I X N,,
,,l)~'r,, ~r~ Ii~..' ,<~mc (,ilici:~l c',~(egorv. FLlrthernlc~re,
t
q(~
since such exceptional
,t~ildxc~ ~i~;~kc ``,,_'~~ h
imtx~ttant lh,lt the school medical ol]]cer should he alert t,, rcc~,~!i)~,,c ,,~l,.h ,,portal c;~,,cs :tn,J that xvhoe\cr is responsible fc)r ti]ading i~i;~,_v'~, ft,t thrill in ,,pccial ~,ch~sls sht)ulct m:tkc at)plicalion to those schools ,,,.l:i<): ;irc l:l,,,,t likcl\ t<> be ethic to> illeet tiacii-peculiar needs. Furthermore, if ,~ l~v,c~ctIc,l,.l~ct lccl,,/l~at to aclll)il zl txirticul;~r child would prejudice the interests 'i" ,'{}}CI-L;)}i)~.tl'C[a }li:', t'~pillit)t'l ,,h~)uld hc given full weight. I,, t~:cct ~hc>c >,'qc:i::c~cn~, it i~, cssenti:~l that there should be provision ,~,'-c,~,,ul~:tti<,n bcl;,ccn the ~,cltool mcdical el!leer, any medical or" other ,,),c:,,-(:~)i,,t,, ``~1:,~tl~:~x have a c~,ntiihutic)n to make. the education officer a n d lhc )~c:~d tcc~c)lcr. In the c:~sc of children under the age of live, the child welfare iilcdlc:~l ,,))i~,c.I (il" nt~l the >
~,.
tl~c>:fl;~c,