OCR Text |
Show " THE FEEBLE" MINDED OF UTAH bbS BBBB Summary of (he llcixirt of the Coni- BpBpf mission on I'VoblctiilndeilnesM by H ,' Jnno (Jriffitlis anil Sadlo Myers, BBBB 'In Charge of thu Seiirvcy for the J Commission, bbbbH BBBBBf ' kkkkl T BBH I ' Considerable public Interest has BBH been manifested In tho work of the BBBj field secretaries of tho commission B J on Fecblc-mlndcdnoss provided for BBH j by tho last legislature. For some BBH months tho field secretaries hnvo BBBJ been making a survey of conditions BBBE as to feeblo-mlnde&ness In a number BBB of tho counties of tho state. Their BBH findings have formed the basis of tho BBBJ report which the commission has BBB made to tho governor nnd tho legls- BBBt lature. So much public Interest has BBH been manifested In tho work of theso BBBJ secretaries that It seems proper to BBH publish In tho Review this general BBBJ ntatement of what tho commission BBH bas dono nnd what It recommends. fl Editor's Note. HHHHB A fni11n-tii1nlftrl nafann la nnn wn A rccuie-minaod person is ono wno BBBJ on account of montal defect existing BBBJ nt birth or from tho early ago Is In- BBH capablo of performing his duties ns BBBJ n momher of society or of competing BBBj on cqunl terms with his fellows. Al- BBBJ frcd ninct, a French scientist who BBBJ has dono moro than n.ny othor por- BBB son to identify mcntnlly defective BBBL persons in tho community nt large BBBj nnd especially in public schools, snys BBB that If n child "is moro than three BjBjBjL years backward ho is mentally de- BBB This Is a classification resting on BBB tho scientific basis of work dono BBB among children in tho public schools BBB of Paris. This mcnsurlng of tho BBB mental level of a child has slnco been BBB standardized In tho United Stntcs nt BBH tho training school at Vlnolnml. N. BBflf J., whero tho Mlnct Scale was first BBB used to clnsslfy tho inmates of this BBH Bchool, nil of whom are mentally de- BBJ fcctlvo. Tho standardization of tho PIB scale, however, was not completed BKWj until after ono thousand normal PIH children In an nverago school com- BmW munlty had been tostcd. This wns BMW dono by flvo trained Vlnelnnd work- BBB' era; nnd when tho results wcro sum- BBB mnrlzcd, tho scnlo was found to np- BHM ply as well to tho Intelligence of tho BBB American child ns It had applied to BBB that of tho French child. Tho qucs- BHM tlons comprising tho scnlo wcro H " worked out with tho Idea of mcasur- Ppi Ing tho Intelligence or comprehens- BBb Inn or a child without regard to Its BBM ncholasttc training. Tho scale is nr- BBfl ranged In a group of uucstlons, flvo BBB In number, nppllcablo to each year, BHm from nine to twelve. So that a nor- BB mal child who has lived In tho world BBM seven years will bo nblo to answer BBs ' tho sovcn-yoar-old group of qucstloni BBM ovon though ho may never have been BBs In school. It should bo clearly un- BBK ilerstood that this scalo Is, ns Ninct PPJ himself says, simply n yard-stick to BBl lneasuro the quality of tho Intolll- BBj gunce. It does .not pretend to estl- BB . mnto tho quality or possibilities of SBY tho Individual thus measure. BBj During tho survey that has Just BBf been completed, some flvo hundred i BBj Utah children hnvo been measured BBl by this scnlo. These wero chlldron BB) already known ns being retarded In Hj their grades, and wcro selected not BBV by the survey workers but by tho BB) teachers who wcro well acquainted BB with them. About two-thirds of BBJ ' these flvo hundred wero found to be BBY retnrded four yeajs or moro. Tills BB) group, Including a small number who BB wero estimated without tho nctual BBJ est, constitute tho class of mentally BBJ dofectlvo persons commonly known BBJ ns morons, or tho high grndo feeble- BBJ minded. Following nro two stories BBJ Illustrating tho h nines from which BBJ these dofectlvo children como. PJBj OwrtTouded Conditions: BBj Story of n family In Utah showing BB) tho fertility of tho feeble-minded, PB A largo family living in very small BB ctuartors was reported to tho field PB worker by onn of ho- nur-oH. who I said sho had visited tho family and that tho woman had slammed tho door In her face. Upon Investigation tho field worker found a littlo two-roomed two-roomed shack on top of a hill with no near-by neighbors, nnd nlno children chil-dren ranging In ago from a baby about a year old to a boy of eighteen. Tho boy works In n livery stable, has no ambition, was never able to do anything In school, and was of very low grade of mentality. He was good-looking enough, however, to prove n decided menace to the young girls of tho community. Tho father did very littlo to help tho family fam-ily along nnd thqy wero receiving some support from tho county. Tho children wero all very slow In school; ono boy was fourteen nnd only In tho fourth grade, another twelve nnd In the third, another ten nnd In tho second grndo. Tho ton-year-old boy was brought recently beforo tho juvcnllo court for truancy and on examination ex-amination wns found to hnvo tho mentality of a child of sovon. Tho husband Is an Illiterate man with only ono nrm. IIo cannot read nor write Uasy access was obtained to tho houso; nnd tho woman, when sho discovered dis-covered thnt tho field worker camo from tho schools to sco If something could bo dono to help her children, wns very friendly nnd talked freely of herself. Sho was expecting to bo confined nnd thoro was no ono to bo with her. It was a pitiful picture, made even moro so ns sho stood In tho open doorway and said In a weak, pathetic voice, "You know, I kind n' hopo I won't havo any moro children." chil-dren." The Story of nn Old Soldier. This family was called to tho attention at-tention of ono of tho commission field workers by n truant officer who wna having troublo with somo of the old soldier's grandchildren. A call was nindo on them and friendliness easily established. An obeso young woman and n paralyzed par-alyzed man, besides tho old man and his apparently Imbecile wlfo, woro In tho dirty, comfortless kitchon where tho visitor wns entertaLned. Tho young woman wns n daughtor, tho mother of flvo or six children, separated separ-ated from her husband, and now living liv-ing with her old parents. Ono or two of the children wcro with her, tho others scattered. In answer to a question about her schooling, her father snld she was "always a dummy dum-my In school and couldn't never learn anything." Tho man tho married wns of tho same calibre, for ho and his brother wero reported to tho workers sovcral times. Tho paralyzed para-lyzed young mnn Is n son of tho old soldier. IIo does nn occasional odd Job, but has to bo supported most of tho time. An oldor brothor, also living at homo, works when ho can get anything to do. An older married mar-ried daughter was visited In hor home, n placo where dirt nnd disorder dis-order hold full sway. Sho weigh two hundred nnd thirty pounds nnd has flvo children, all public I'.chool problems. Tho old boldlcr himself Is supported by n pension on which ho has been living for over twenty yonrs. Tho third gonorntlon of thin defectlvo family, of about fifteen children. Is giving troublo now in tho public schools. Tho Idiot, the Imbecile nnd the .Moron. Tho Idiot cannot walk or talk and has n mentality which does not exceed ex-ceed that of a two-year-old child. TI1I3 typo Is easily recognized becauso usually ropulsivo In appcaranco and unclean in personal habits. Tho lm-becllo lm-becllo ranges In mentality from two to seven. IIo enn walk nnd talk but cannot bo taught to rend or write. Ho may bo trained to do unskilled work of certain kinds under supervision. super-vision. Tho moron has n mentnllty of from soven to tweho. Ho cannot can-not wrlto, but Is highly tralnablo under un-der suplrvlslon. This tvno U diffi cult to rccognlzo and Is continually complicating our social problems. Tho word "moron" comes from a Greek word meaning fool. The Siirtcy, Slnco Soptomber 1, ,1910, Miss Jnno Griffiths of Philadelphia and Miss S.ullo Myers of Salt Lako hnvo mado a general survoy of tho following fol-lowing counties: Salt I.ako (outsldo of Salt l.ako City), Weber, Utah, Cncho, Sunpcto, nnd Davis. Whllo tho commission has a considerable body of data sent in from othor counties coun-ties throughout tho state, it has not been posslblo to do moro than verify tho material collected In tho abovo named counties. Tho total population of that portion por-tion of the state, roughly sun eyed, Is about 160,000, and among these there , have been discovered 1365 mentally defectlvo persons who have been classified as followa: (a) Two hundred and flfty-Bevcn children under eighteen years of ng" who can profit by specialized industrial indus-trial training in tho public schools and nro therefore designated ns special spe-cial class children. (b) Four hundred nnd fifty-eight children under elghteon years of nge whose mental ages aro four or more years below their chronological ages. These children tho designated as morons who are heghly trainable, but who must always bo under supervision su-pervision nnd are therefore cases for institutional care, slnco they can never adapt themselves to tho conditions con-ditions or ordinary life out In tho world. (c) One hundred nnd ono children under eighteen years of ngo are tralnablo to a limited extent, designated desig-nated as Imbeciles, and can bo nindo happy In the doing of very slmplo thLngs if kopt under careful supervision. super-vision. (d) Seventy-three children and adults who aro totally untralnable. Theso aro designated as low grndo Imbeciles nnd Idiots. (o) Four hundred nnd slxty-slx persons of both soxes nnd of adult chronological nges who can bo mado moro or les3 self-supporting In a colony whero thoy can bo employed In tilling the soil, nnd slmplo building build-ing operations, In reclamation of nrld or drnlnablo lands, In houso work, caro of poultry, and other similar types of activity, provided they aro under strict, yet kindly, supervision. (f) Two hundred and eighty women wo-men nnd girls of child-bearing ago already included In the preceding groups deserve special mention becauso be-causo of tho fact they aro such n menace to general social welfare When we rcallzo that not Ies than two-thirds of tho total number of feeble-minded persons are either tho children or tho grandchildren of tho feoblo-mlnded nnd that theso womon nnd girls nro mentally lncnpablo of caring for or protecting themselves or their children, having In many Instances tho mental capacities of children of eight to twelve years, and that thoy reproduce themselves much moro reapldly than do tho normal minded, tho nature of tho menaco will bo perfectly obvious. In general, theso men nnd women-children women-children of society constitute tho group from which aro recruited,) largely, tho repeating criminals, tho paupers, toll prostitutes, tho ne'er-do-wells. Hoys from tho moron group have been returned to tho Industrial In-dustrial school four and flvo tlmt.i In many Instances. Tho pollco courts nro kept busy with theso repeaters. Moron chlldron In tho public schools nro n serious menaco to tho welfaro of all other chlldron, so say nothing of tho cost to tho schools of their ro-tardatlon. ro-tardatlon. Theso pitiably helpless and Inefficient Ineffi-cient pcoplo, forced by tho way In which wo aro now treating them to contend against Impossible odds, exploited ex-ploited by tho unscrupulous, a menace men-ace to themselves nnd tholr communities, com-munities, possessed of adult Instinct i nnd pcrpotuntlng themselves twice ns rapidly as normal-minded, constitute consti-tute a problem for tho solution of which tho stato Is primarily responsi ble. Thoy nro adult children who nro Incapablo of managing tholr affairs, af-fairs, bringing up tholr children, or avoiding tho dnngors that Involvo resistance or solf-cantrol. They cannot, can-not, if loft to themselves, produco enough to maintain tholr own lives, not to mention tho lives of tholr offspring. off-spring. Tho maintenance wo nro obliged to afford them under present condition constantly Increases the problom. Public opinion, .not understanding under-standing their children, say that families must not bo broken up nnd so wo support thorn by state caro, such care, and through so-called charity organizations. Tho commission is now nsking tho stnto to talco caro of as many of theso peoplo ns can bo In nn economic econ-omic way which will bring somo ro-turn ro-turn and wipe oA a portion of tho problem. As It is, i nre calling for these (HMiple In tho most expansive way nnd increasing tho problom by making it posslblo for thorn to hnvo largo families. As a mnttor of money economy, of social economy, ns well ns that of protecting our own chlldron against what will bo nn overwhelming overwhelm-ing burden, something definite must bo dono. Just what tho present leg-Islaturo leg-Islaturo mny sco fot to do will depend de-pend on tho extent to which tho members, mem-bers, ns roproeuntnttves of the people, peo-ple, rcallzo their responsibility nnd exorclso wholosomo discrimination as between tho things that nro vltully Important nnd thoso less so. Tho chlldron wo can profit by spe cialized Instruction in tho public schools will bo provided for Just, as rapidly as boards of education can make adequato prpvlsion for the work. The 4G8 children designated as highly trainable, If adequately, cared for, would bo In a training school organized specially to meet their needs, but until such care Is provldod, will go on as they aro now some of them trying to get something some-thing In the public schools, but seriously seri-ously lnterfer In with the other children; chil-dren; others, where homo care la Inadequate, In-adequate, drifting along as truants and delinquents and finally reaching the industrial school, 60 per cent of whose students are of this class; others kopt at home, constituting an almost Insuperable obstacle to an orderly or-derly and satisfactory home life for the other children. For tho 101 children of very limited tralnablllty, permonent custodial care Is Imperative; Impera-tive; and we may say the same thing of the 73 low grado Imbeciles and Idiots. Nothing approaching In efficiency and economy the colony method of caring for adult feeble-minded has yet been devised. To keep people of this kind this In group (o) (466 In number) as we aro now doing, In county poor houses, In pall, In tho stato's prison, In tho state'a montal hospital, and free In society, Is expensive ex-pensive and wasteful. It has been amply demonstrated that these people. peo-ple. If given an opportunity on a tract of land, can bo given humnno care and made very happy and at the samo time can bo mado to contribute con-tribute n largo share of the means necessary for their own support. Given a tract of land and building, materials thoy,1 will under direction, construct their own homes, Including Includ-ing all necessary outbuildings, cultivate cul-tivate tho land, nnd produco such part of their subsistence that actual cost of bulldlngstnnd equipment-will not oxceed $250 for each person nnd tho annual cost of maintenance for each will bo les3 than $100. This means, of course, slmplo, Inexpensive, ono-story bulldlng3 nnd unpretentious unpretenti-ous but humnno care. Tho following Is a simple Illustration Illustra-tion of tho cost of providing colony caro for 300 feeble-minded adults who nro suited to such care: Building nnd equipments at $250 per capita $75,000 Subsistence of 100 peoplo for the first year at $100 per capita 10,000 Subsistence for 200 peoplo for tho second year at $100 per capita 20,000 Total $ 1 0G.000 This ftakes no account of tho cost of land nnd contemplates n small beginning, be-ginning, but tho net result nt the end of tho first blrnnlnl period would bo a plant that would adequately caro for 300 persons. This plan contemplates contem-plates taking twenty or thirty nmn out on tho land nnd the utllzatlon of their labor In building their homes. As rapidly ns housing facilities facili-ties aro provldod, tho colony should bo Lncroasod until tho wholo group will bo cared for. In fact, one-half the amount above mentioned would mako a real beginning. Two things seem to the commission to bo needed and thoy are: First, that an appropriation of $6000 be mndo for tho purpose of continuing tho survey. This Is necessary In vlow of tho fact that wo havo covered only a part of tho population (106,-000). (106,-000). Tho work done has not been ns Intenslvo ns it should be and that tho co-opcratlon received, while of good quality, has not been sufficient. Second, that a beginning bo mado toward tho establishment of colonies for men and women, nt least to tho extent authorizing thecommIsslon to oxnmlno trncts of land thought to be suitable as a slto for such a colony. J Thus far tho work" accomplished by tho survey has Included not only tho collection of data but tho prn- I sentntlon of tho facts to tho legislature legis-lature Educationally, tho survoy work has been of great valuo as shown by tho Interest evinced In every public school whero tho tests have been demonstrated. This opportunity op-portunity to see tho DInet test given has been tho means of defining more clearly to superintendents and teachers, teach-ers, tho public school problem, and showing thorn to what extent It can bo dealt with In tho schools. Public talks, newspaper articles, and Interviews Inter-views with private Individuals havo dono much to stimulate Interest In tho problom of tho mentally defective defec-tive Up to tho present tlmo provision pro-vision has been mado In thirty-two states In the union, In a moro or lesa limited way, for tho feeble-minded. May wo hopo that Utah will bo tho first of the remaining sixteen states ( to grasp tho seriousness of tho prob- ' lent nnd do Immediately whatever mny bo posslblo toward its solution. Educational Itovlew. |