Helping to keep the mentally handicapped child at home

Abstract

Summary Prevention, in the form of pre-natal screening, is outside the scope of this paper, as is genetic counselling, except in the relief of parental anxiety and guilt. The immediate priorities would appear to be: o (1) Early diagnosis and continuing assessment throughout childhood, based on the modalities of vision, hearing, physical, social and emotional development, intellectual growth and in particular language skills, rather than on a global intelligence quotient. Inter- and intra-disciplinary co-operation is essential. (2) Considerate, intelligent and consistent parental counselling from the earliest diagnostic point throughout the individual's childhood with parental involvement in each step taken on behalf of the child. (3) Advisory and educational guidance from the earliest years. (4) Appropriate placement for the child with parental involvement and agreement at the right time and subject to continuing re-assessment. (5) Training and education of the child so as to promote his optimum independence in later life, with increasing emphasis on social independence and suitable employment. (6) Education and social services will play an increasingly important and larger part in the field of mental handicap. Increasingly, therefore, Health Services should turn attention to better ways of identifying and preventing mental handicap in childhood, and money needs to be spent on research to this end.