8
Education Meets a New Challenge
By ELIZA BETH D O TSO N
A few years ago two children were
committed to Fairview Home— state
home for the feeble-minded. This would
have been an irreparable mistake if they
had not been found by the state med
ical and educational staffs. These chil
dren did not have low mentality— they
were merely handicapped by defective
hearing. They were, therefore, quickly
transferred to the State School for the
D eaf and Hard-of-Hearing, where they
made rapid progress.
Such a catastrophy will not occur
again for state employees working
through the Program for the Education
of Handicapped Children are constant
ly vigilant to discover the needs of
such boys and girls and to help them
become happy, normal and independent
individuals. Blind children are prepared
to return to public high schools where
they gain the confidence necessary to
enter group activities — swimming,
skating, working with other young peo
ple. Deaf students^ taught to speak and
to read lips, are no longer isolated from
social intercourse. Children confined in
their homes are tutored to keep abreast
of their classmates. This is one of the
greatest opportunities Oregonians offer
their young people.
This Program for the Education of
Handicapped Children was inaugurated
in 1941 with provision of funds for a
survey of needs in Oregon. An un
questionable necessity was revealed and
the program became a law by vote of
the 1943 state legislature. By this law
the program was made state-wide under
the supervision of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction; already-established
agencies were empowered to cooperate
with the new program, and an appro
priation of $140,000 was made. The
1945 legislature showed confidence in
the administration and accomplish
ments of the system by appropriating
$200,000 for the present biennium.
A close and harmonious cooperation
is maintained between all agencies
working with handicapped children to
prevent duplication of activities and
use of state funds. Under the coordina
tion of Dr. Verne Bain, Director of
Special Education, the program oper
ates through public schools, the State
Schools for the Blind and for the Deaf
and Hard-of-hearing, the State Child
Guidance Clinic and the Crippled Chil
dren’s Division of the University of
Oregon Medical School, the State
Board of Health and the County Health
Departments, and the State System of
Higher Education. Each agency is
alert to discern needs and to bring
cases to the attention of the proper
supervisors and the central director.
Assistance is given to any child (aged
6 to 20 years) in the public schools,
who, after a physical examination, ob
tains a certificate of need from a reg
istered physician. If a boy or girl is
deaf or hard-of-hearing, blind or par
tially sighted, crippled or has a speech
defect, he or she is given attention by
specialists in these fields and the ser
vices o f special schools. Speech difficul
ties are more prevalent than any other
handicap, although adjustment of this
defect is one of the newest fields of
correction in Oregon. Tuberculosis,
rheumatic fever and heart disturbances
result in low vitality cases for which
rest periods are arranged and lighter
study loads planned. Tutors and in
struction manuals for parents help to
teach those confined to their homes.
Maladjusted students, though intel
lectually normal, have extreme learn
ing, behavior and emotional difficul
ties. Non-readers are a large part of
this group; and being unable to read,