The Goderich Signal-Star, 1970-05-21, Page 13•
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This is just -one -of -the study Voups at the-BarrierTtrtearning
seminar last Tuesday as they discussed emotional r upsets and
learning disabilities in children. Persons attended the seminar'
from all parts of Huron and Perth counties as well as other areas
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s+�tvrced��tsq2'Goderich f's;rchiatrio-4iosp'ttal:r-.,At r -the -right- Df rthis
group is Mrs. Rosemary Evans, Huron County Health Unit, a
' member of .the morning panel, and Mrs. Angela Dawson, GPIs,
who was chairlady for the seminar. (staff photo)
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,ff..number.of Goderich peciple attended. Ahe larrierss 40 :eamrng- , -Ro °minister•-st•lC P�` riar r su1* d w M . .�
Seminar at the Goderich Psychiatric Hospital last Tuesday. Here, principal of St. Mary's Separate School; and Paul Carroll, teacher
Mrs. Paul Carroll pours coffee for (left to right) James Coulter, at Victoria St. Public School: (staff photo)
Superintendent of Education for Huron County; Rev. G. L.
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The panel in the ^afternoon at the Barrier To Learning Seminar at
GPH last Tuesday discussed some of the specifics when dealing
�awith emotionally disturbed youngsters who are patients at the
hospital. They also had advice for the persons attending the
seminar who daily handle all kinds of children, Members of the
panel included (left to right) Jim
worker; Margaret Lawson, supervisor
GPH; Dr. Victor Black,* psychiatrist
classroom • teacher at GPH Child Care
Psychologist. (staff,photo)
Wright, psychiatric social
of the Child Care Unit at
at GPH; John McPherson,
Unit; and Cheryl Langford,
About 165 persons attended the Barriers To Learning seminar at
GPH last Tuesday. Representatives attended from all professions.
Included were teachers, medical personnel, clergymen and of
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course, parents. Another seminar is planned
parents. (staff photo)
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red especially for
lore children can be e
alternate methods- now being sought
About 165 persons'attended the "Barriers
to Learning" seminar held Tuesday at
Goderich,, Psychiatric Hospital. with Mrs.
.Angela Dawson RN as chairlady: r .
The proceedings were opened.by Dr. M. F.
Conlon, Medical Superintendent of Goderich
Psychiatric Hospital.
In his $ opening address Dr. Conlon
reviewed the programme developments of
• the hospital over the past three years. He
referred to the treatment- units `already' in
operation: the Adult Treatment Centre, the
Mother and Baby Unit, the Alcoholic and
Addiction. Centre, and the Psychogeriatric
Unit for the treatment of the elderly. . The
forthcoming official opening of the new
Child Care and Family_ Centre would
represent the final stages in the development
of -a comprehensive mental health treatment
programme, within the hospital. Dr. Conlon
stressed/ the importance ofommunity
involvement and understanding' of the
facilities the hospital had to. offer, and the
importance of such services radiating out
into the community.
Dr. Conlon referred to the present school'
system hi Western Society where the formal
demands for academic learning may become
major determinants of further personality
development.. "Very often," he stated, "so
crucial `for the child, is the task of
developing competence that success, or
failure may mould the child's image of
himself as a capable and adequate person, or.
as aninferior one." - m
Dr. Richard Stennett, director of
educational research for the London Board
of Education was the morning speaker. He
provided the assembly With, a definitionof
emotional handicap, the incidence and
prevalence of emotional handicap and some
There is ran . obvious need to invent best to handle the. student during' school
substantially in . creating . mental • health hours. School psychologists could also be
resources by training firing -line. tremendously helpful inthis field. -
professionals; that is, the.professional people One question to the panel suggested that -
who are in • direct daily contact with ,
children. We lack neither the .knowledge nor today s educational system may be
the skills to do the job.„ The essential contributing to emotional problems in
question is whether or not we have"the will youngstersy pushing them into school
to do what ought to be 'done, and when to, without first determining their readiness for
hart �, school. Teacher John MacPherson noted that
- tests at kindergarten level do filter out some
James Coulter, superintendent of Huron of the existing problems. - h '
County. Schools, was chairman of the
morning panel. The panel included Dr.
Sennett, Dr. Michael Conlon, Mrs. Rosemary
Evans, public health . nurse at the Huron
County Health Unit and Mrs. Doris 'Milne,
•Kincardine. The panel answered 'questions
from the floor and helped to get clarification
ofathe part the teacher plays in helping to
identify emotional handicap. Afternoon
speaker was Dr. Victor Black, a psychiatristhe is sufficiently mature.
at Goderich Psychiatric Hospital. With him as
Jim Wright told the gathering that if the
child's -w problem is' found to be
environmental, it - is 'sometimes extremely
difficult to modify the situation and remove
or alter the source of frustration.
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Dr. Black also indicated his belief that
youngsters shouldn't be kept out of school "
"just because they are not five years old'on a
particular day". He said. that even though it
may be' .possible for the child to achieve
faster than other children once he gets to
school, Nand thereby - soon reach his proper
• educational level, it could be more beneficial
to the child to enroll him in school as soon
on a panel were Jim Wright, psychiatric
social worker; Margaret Lawson, supervisor
of the Child Care Unit at Goderich
Psychiatric Hospital;. John McPherson,
classroom teacher ,of Child Care Unit and
Cheryl Langford, psychologist. '
Dr. Thomas Siess of the University- of
Western Ontario summed up the findingsof
the seminar, '
Dr. Black said .there are roughly "44000
young peoplt,under the age of 18 in Huron
and Perth counties who have some kind of
learning disabilities or emotional disorders.
This is an estimate based on the estimate
that about 40 percent of the population of
Canada is under the age of 18 years, and of
thaC 40 percent, five percent have emotional
disorders and another five percent have
learning disabilities. '
information • about the. development and In his lecture, Dr. Black discussed the
time course of emotional handicap. He said eifiotional and non -emotional causes of
an 'emotionally handicapped child typically • learning problems and how these. problems
exhibits -the following five characteristic& should be approached; outline the
conditions classed as emotional disorders;
and explained the services available at
Goderich Psychiatric Hospital for inpatients
and out-patients. Dr. Black .also touched on
the procedure after each new referral and
the various methods of treatment.
Inability. to learn which _ cannot be
explained by -intellectual, sensory or health
' factors; an unsatisfactory"relationship with
peers and teachers; a tendency to exhibit
inappropriate behaviour in normal
circumstances; a feeling of general
unhappiness or depression and a tendency to
develop physical symptoms or fears in
relation to personal or school problems.
All authors seem' to agree that emotional,
handicap is more common in boys than in'.
girls. - While girls often reveal their
adjustment problems in terms of . "feeling
sick," boys are more inclined to "fight" or
be treant. The most valid diagnostic
indicators are the child's ability to get along
with his peers, his teacher's evaluation of
him and his achievement patterns. In most
children; emotional handicap must be
regarded as a` disease and not as a phase
which will be outgrown. Dr. Stennett quoted
a study which arrived at the following
conclusion ' "Adult psychotics have had
visible signs of disordered behaviour early in
their rives and presumably could have been
identified and treated long before they ,
reached the stage of frank psychosis."
Two concluions--first, that children with
emotional handicap can. be identified early,
�n�',, ..out of hiss`` o ulation..at_ Mrs. Cheryl Langford noted a 'need for
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disposed, institutionalized or treated as tes_tminologyt ` used by psychiatrists , and
delinquent*, �schlzophr�enics, psychosomatics' suggested they should sit in on staff team
,arid oso on. Th s we must const r the discussion°. its the evdnt one Qf their students
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Mm. Langford felt, the teachers would have
,emotional disorder Fr as- compared to the
tehabllltation of the already handicapped. ' , e 'Working lrhowledge of the ,case and how .' immllttllllltHl anitl.'...
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Although Dr. Black expressed a need for
future developments which would provide
help for more young people requiring some
kind . of counselling or' assistance to
overcome emotional disorders or learning
disabilities, "he admitted that no solution was
immediately in view.
There are indications, he said, that there is
merit in a scheme whereby softie of the less
severe problems could be `dandled by
informed resource people such as teachers.
and, public health nurses working in
conjunction, with professional staff at
Goderich Psychiatric Hospital leaving the
more difficult, deep-rooted troubles to the
hospital staff. However, it is still too early to
predict whether 'or not this type of system
could be implemented in the Huron -Perth
area.
"We're feeling our way;" advised Dr.
Black. "We're trying to find out which areas
of liaison we should set up. We'll be
Considering that, I hope, in the near future."
"It is easier to avoid problems than to
correct therm" observed Dr. Siess.
Dr. Siess explained that if a*pectations are
high for a youngster, he will very likely
achieve more.
He noted the importance of the teacher in -
the identification and prevention of barriers
to learning. Teachers, ajcording to Dr. Siess,
are valuable , people who can contribute
greatly to the ultimate good of the students..
1 -ie urged, teachers to be concerned and
aware.
"Turn to specialists when you need them,"
said Dr. Siess, "but don't be afraid to mala
judgements on your own. Who else but the
teacher spends seven hours a day with a
particular youngster?"
_ Dr Siess .also,mstressed_,the._im,pnrtance of
on-going research in the educational system.
He said research is nothing more than careful
Collection _and careful inspection of a set of
circumstances.
"The teacher must be ready to admit he
can't win them all,"added Dr. Siess. -
Dr. Siess , who was termed "the
mastermind" of the seminar, concluded by
saying that he hoped for a "productive
partnership". between GPH. and the schools:
"Remember though," cautioned Dr. Siess.
"The emotionally handicapped , are in the
minority."
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Photo Story
by
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