Brain Damage in Children: The Biological and Social Aspects

Abstract

The diagnosis of damage has become increasingly popular for a large group of children who show such symptoms as hyperactivity, irritability, short attention span, and learning difficulties. Sometimes the diagnosis receives support from abnormal neurological or electroencephalographic findings, but there is little agreement concerning just what the term actually means. Often parents and teachers are relieved of guilt feelings when assured that these behavior and learning difficulties have an organic basis, and are not due to unsatisfactory upbringing or teaching. Consequently, there is often subtle pressure on the physician to make this diagnosis. In view of this widespread interest and, at the same time, the attendant confusion, the Association for the Aid of Crippled Children sponsored a conference on the biological and social aspects of brain damage. This book publishes seven of the original papers at this conference. The contributions, we are told, represent the fields of pediatrics, psychiatry,