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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-08-12, Page 9Li bx'ax',it . pn.treal e :Yl,. On ;. '''N76 2G4 • ,121,YEAR 33- THURS., AUGUST 12,1976 SECOND SECTIO1' The gov't wants to return d vrei pmentally hand capped; a community • • o Friday. They get paid aecording to their efforts each r r►day afternoon, the average wage .. packet giving adequate ' /` . The car wash at The Blue*ater Centre for the" Develop. Mentally Handicapped offers one . of the best bargains in Huron County for motorists. These workers will clean a car: inside and outside for •$1.50. What's more, they do a"great job Residents in all areas work from about 9 a.m to noon, --- and agair from about .1 p..m, to 4 p.m. Monday through' allowance for treats at the canteen, Weekends are free for • t1 a residents; as are their evenings. Several centres, of r-ela-xe:cep,_ are= -under= -development,. including_the _s is animal farm which is a delight to many, (staff photo) There are•several "houses" at The Bluewater Centre for the . Developmentally Handicapped Residents are grouped in the various "Houses' -'-•according to their capabilities. As the training progresses,' the residents will ;be moved along to the next "house" This is one of the bedrooms at the Centre' • RV SHIRL-EY J. REIrLER Former United ° ;States President John F.°Kennedy .once Said; "The true measure of •a society can* be, seen in ,what it.,does"for its members who are least endowed." "It isa well known fact that - President ' Kennedy • was personally acquainted with the pr•obi-eri of mental' retardation. Perhaps .it was rastisr'for him then to really' ondurstand that persons who are developmentally han:: lira ped' have needs arid .wants lust like anyone else' - and titai whatthey must have trio; e than anything . inthis w oral pis the opportunity ° to i'diarn everything. -that is • within their capabilities. • Dr. Marc Gold is a'research associate.. professor . of psychology at the Children's Resctiarch Centre at the University of Illinois. He has ti devoted most of his:career to development" and ap- :plcation of training techniques for the mentally T•i; was Di^. Gold who per- formed• an expe iin.ent which :'..Hanged his .concept of what „ais the mentally. retarded c in acquire. Dr.. Gold was • aisle to train 64 moderately Dr. Go1d, ° vocational coin petency, even for, the retarded;' 'is determined: by the training technology and: the ,amount of° resources society trin unisg. '.wi11t,1g to allocate a . Rtrcently• • the Ontario government . has begun to. take a new and important look at some of the concepts taught by Dr. Marc Gold and ° -others who share his views. A visit to The Bluewater Centre. for the Developmentally Handicapped at the site of the: former Goderich Psychiatric Hospital. is a revelation of the• new methods ^ which .. are , emerging from, the Ministry "of Social and Corrimun•ity. Services' efforts to put the retarded right back into .the ' comhunity- and'togivethem the right to live theirliveS.as normally as it is possible for. them to -achieve. . It's a tall order to be sure, 'But day by day.,_a program -is --._ "evolving at: The,,Bliiewater Centre which is •opening, new f4r.::._..._ahata:_ 79 developmentally • han ': dicapped.T'adults between the. ages ofQ1U1 z2andEA 6? • There .are out 16Q per ab sons patierits,had proVided'-a solid basis upon which to learn how to deal with developmentally handicapped persons, the staff'underwent a three week intensive training program iia April. ., They learned, that_.the goal was to .train men and women w were functioning as • though" they were ,cchitd n`; "'The object .was to,give them enough cochpeten9y--to-return;- to the community . at' some future date - perhaps to their homes -and -families, maybe to sheltered workshop en- -vironrnentt, possibly even to live alone with understanding (continued,on page 4A) •-- SW ITCH on staffdoat The Bluewater. shared by ladies; who like to have their favourite things around them when they 'are at home. Each "house" `las a diningroom,, a living room and Various activity areas. The quarters are briglitand cheerful, closely simulating regular homes. everywhere_, (staff photo) ' . Pat Wheeler is a familiar face. at The Bluewater Centre for Developmentally :Handicapped. Here she `chats. with some residents :who`are. enjoying, a break on the swings . during a .physical teducation class. At day's end, when the r."gular work day is over for the residents, this playground nil ', verelytl.retarded .in Centre: sin time, .about pix 5. iii‘ to assemble 1r4- ' more trained ..and qualified piece bicycle 'Drakes .in less • specialists: will ••be„added to than two training ,hours per .. the staff; but for the time • person*, being, the job is being done by • P t f. o His training method g . p requires'a onelo-one trainer: whom had been e-mployed.at trainee relationship. The task the psychiatrtcaios'piial, • is analysed arid broken down ”' , se different $ gR t There worldIt"-c`o.mmentedquita Rass F; into teachable units. ,r ant ' .wlto is the ad was a minimum of verbal B,r yarrator forahe Centre. • -•prompting. , Every attempt The • first thing staff was made to add other clues, members had to learn was and • cues to'facilitate '!ear- that p p . ping. '.For ex.ample,, color d W T coding .was an important • factor for the trainees, most • of .wham learned three - consecu'tive' correct per-'. handicapped." formances with no assistance While their former from the trainer, within three association. with- psychiatric weeks. . ` Dr. Gold believes now that if 'teachers and trainers acquire •and apply proper training techniques, even- severely' 'retarded..•persons are . capable oi; performing complex tasks and jobs. He says that the retarded people •, ..,, in the world,are hampered for the .most part by, a society • 'these. eo 1e are not sick, '- pointe out. Gregg,. dir"ector .of, training. "They are developmentally area is -a favourite.•spot for relaxing and having fun. Every `effort is made at the Centre, to simulate the world as most adults. know it - a round of meaningful employment; leisure hours .•filled' with activities of interest and a comfortable home with friendsand,family nearby._. (staff photo) Pottery Christmas trees - complete with tiniatur1e lights are produced by'the residents at The Bluewater Centre for ' ' the Developnitntally Handicappedalong with mugs, vases, ashtrays and other bits of attractive bric-a-brae.. They are for°sale in the little 'gift •boutique which isopen daily for persons looking for ,gift ideas anytime of the year. In other • areas of the Centre, residents are packaging various items 71. which ha'sn't yetfound the magic key: to teaching and training. _ • This« man talks about something he calls horizontal learning - his conviction that people can learn an infinite amount • of 'information ,And tasks at whatever le—Vet they_ are functioning, providing the - proper training methods are developed to teach those 'skills and abilities. Dr, Marc .Goldfurther • believes that society •weighs a ma'n's' competencies (those areas in .which -he is'-skiWlfU1) against his deviancies (those areas i'n• which he is dif ferent). Someone who is well dressed, norn'la1 in facial - expressiori and-w.eli•=to-do in; .terms if worldly. goods; can -crawl around: on his hands and knees looking' for . cigarette butts in the grass and be termed "eccentric': At the same time, another 'Person ,who is ' in • tattered clothes with distorted feature. 'and• no •social position who crawls on his hands and knees looking for cigarette butts, is an outcast. To "make, it" in society, a Pers -on must have more 'vocational competencies't an deviancies. Where the on contract. Generally speaking, residents are trained to do Dr, Gold, society in the past progressively more demanding jobs and as opportunities , attempted only to eliminate present' themselves,, the, residents move along in a steady, the differences (deviancies) upward'clirn), toward, the day when they can move oust into a rather than teaching the more regular job in the community in any one of several vocattona p (skills) necessary for'them to .retarded are concerned; .says ways. (staff photo)' . l con etenctes succeed. And accor g • • Some very fine lawn furniture is under construction at - The Bluewater, Centre ,for' the Developmentally Hari- dicapped just south of Goderich: The work is done by some residents as well as; staff members. Ideally, ae-" cording to trainers in the area, the work ratio here should -be '90 to 10 per cent, residents to staff respectively. Bach .' job is broken down into teachable units, with' residents.- trained to do each of the steps in due course. Those employed in the woodworking shop expressed a pride of • .workina'nship w(<tich would be the envy. of many. (staff photo) .p 5' Staff is on duty at The laluewater Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped round the clock. in many cases, staff members provide a living example for the residents of what normal behaviour. is. Trained people eat with the residents, work with them, walk with them, play with them, dance with them - live' with thein. Here staffer Lisa Sholtz visits thehorse at the small animal fern) along with a. resident,. showing by exan�iple how to pat the horse gently on the nose The..animais only arrived last week at the' Centre, and by Friday residents were getting very friendly with a horse, 'a goat and a calf living at' the farm which is within easy walkint distance of the main buildings. (staff photo)