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The Care, Cure, And Education Of The Crippled Child

Creator: Henry Edward Abt (author)
Date: 1924
Publisher: International Society for Crippled Children
Source: Available at selected libraries
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 1  Figure 2  Figure 3  Figure 4  Figure 5  Figure 6  Figure 7

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The problem of the crippled child in Pennsylvania, like New York, must be viewed both as one of several large cities, and one for the state as a whole. As in the two neighbor states, crippled child activities are developing rapidly and in a co-ordinated manner. The recent conference at Harrisburg brought all agencies, including the Pennsylvania Society for Crippled Children, the State Departments, and the various institutional organizations, into close contact. In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, special orthopedic institutions are well equipped to handle the problem. Orthopedic services in Philadelphia are soon to be increased by another unit of the Shriners' Hospitals. As a result of a recent law providing for judicial commitment to any hospitals for treatment whenever necessary, orthopedic beds are provided in general hospitals in the less populous sections of the state. The only outstanding deficiency in Pennsylvania provision to aid crippled children is that of local special education. It is to be hoped that steps soon will be ken to establish these special classes and schools everywhere.

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The New England States

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Combined area: 66,424 square miles.
Rhode Island population 604,397
Connecticut population 1,380,631
Massachusetts population 3,852,356
Vermont population 352,421
New Hampshire population 443,083
Maine population 768,014
Total 7,400,902

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Of the New England States, Massachusetts is at present the most active in this movement. Institutional care is splendidly developed in this state at the New England Peabody Home, the Massachusetts Hospital School, the Boston Children's Hospital and convalescent home), The New England Home for Little Wanderers, and Convalescent Home of the Berkshire County Society for Crippled Children, and the Sol-e-Mar Hospital. Inasmuch as the entire Massachusetts solution of this problem has been developed along institutional lines, and inasmuch as almost every one of these institutions, possesses well equipped schools, special classes are not greatly needed in that state. The Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children suffices to fulfill the needs of Boston.

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Rhode Island, at present depending largely on Massachusetts for facilities to aid crippled children, might well support several special classes, and perhaps one or two institutions for crippled children. New Hampshire has similarly been depending upon Massachusetts institutions for these services, and should develop an expedient and de-centralized program for aiding these cases. Vermont activities have, to a large extent, been conducted by the State Board of Health, and have been directed toward the after-care of infantile paralysis. This state also is very much in need of special facilities, the only active institution in the state being a private home for after-poliomyelitic children, at Proctor. Connecticut is the only state providing special state Sanatoria for bone and joint tuberculosis in children. A state custodial institution for juvenile cripples is maintained at Newington. Connecticut social interest in the care, cure, and education of the crippled child is awakening slowly.

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Maine orthopedic centers are located at Portland and Bangor. The outstandingly active institution is the Children's Hospital at Portland. In 1924, Mr. Arthur H. Taylor, of the American Child Health Association, entered upon a program to (1) secure a census of cripples in the state; (2) study available facilities; and (3) stimulate interest and enthusiasm in various localities in the problem of the crippled child. In the process of this work, Rotary Clubs, the State Department of Health, The Children's Hospital at Portland, the Boy Scouts, and the State Department of Education co-operated. An attempt was made to duplicate the Ohio program by the establishment of ten clinic centers, namely, Sanford-Springvale, Augusta, Lewiston, Waterville, Skowhegan, Bangor, Houlton, Presque-Isle, and Fairfield. At the time of writing, organization of Rotary Club Crippled Children's Committees continues, and three successful clinics already have been held. Rotarians assisted in the transportation to Portland of cases needing hospital care. It may reasonably be expected that Maine activities will develop along the lines of those in process in Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other states in which facilities are "brought to the child." In this work, provision for special classes probably will follow the completion of clinical and social organization.

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