Poor Planning

While much poor planning is evident at Levin, the villas are generally in good repair, clean and airy. As is often the case with government construction, inadequacies seem to stem from those who must work in the buildings. Small rooms, poor ventilation, inadequate plumbing, waste space and the 'prefab' obsession are among the features which mar even the newer buildings.

On way of showing concern for these children is to visit the hospitals for social or games. Children in institutions love to meet and talk with new people. Their attention can be overwhelming, even alarming, but is a release for their natural affections. Taking a child for an outing with the family or a group to a beach or farm, will often provide mutual enjoyment. These children are starved for stimulation and react to it readily.

Those who are interested in such work should beware of the word "rewarding". Progress is slow. Often it will be tempestuous and infuriating, and very often plain boring.

But in each child there is potential, however small, some personality, however warped. To release this, to provide affection and interest, and receive it in return, is satisfying.

This work is more interesting if the attitude of the institution is progressive and experimental. The work, is not depressing, because, if children are left untrained they regress. Providing stimulation to these children is worthwhile, The alternatives are tragic. We must not return to those days when humanity, however defective, was left to vent its frustration and boredom in institutions hidden from the world. It is to the credit of those who initiated New Zealand's post-war training programmes that much of this has been obviated.

It is now time to remove the care and training of the mentally defective child as much as possible from an institutional environment.

Constant research for, and application of new techniques and educational aids in a freer, more specifically educational environment, is imperative.