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The Acton Free Press Wed April 14 To parents teachers Of retarded Panel of experts answers questions on medical legal education rights allowed to bring a child into the world David Thompson I speak as a lawyer and not person ally In the case of a female sterilization Is a major opera and consent is needed Before the age of 16 the deci may be made by the par used by other children with physical handicaps or as a clinic What happens if I work John Graham We burning our bridges This has happened in other schools In Ihc province and no board has Retarded children their medical legal and education rights were the topic of discussion Sunshine School in Hornby last week Moderator Don Gentleman area superintendent of the North Board of Ed introduced a panel of experts to parents and tea Panelists were public health nurse Betty Mercer doctor A Thompson den Ken lawyer David Thompson educator John Graham and executive director of Ihe North Halton Association for the Retarded Eric Taylor The following questions and answers were given What service if any can a public health nurse perform to alleviate worry and some times hopelessness in a home with a new mental retardate Betty Mercer Through home visiting we can give support to parents by inter pretmg the doctor diagno sis We can help with feelings of hopelessness guilt and fear and be reassuring We help parents to work through the crisis and make them aware of community services available Tell parents How would you reveal to new parents fact that their new baby is mentally retarded Is there any concerning this problem aailable in jour office Do you know who to contact for help with this Thompson Each pat is an with a difference in the degree of re tardation It sometimes dif f icult to tell at birth except in the case of severe retarda Hon I believe parents should be told as soon as possible Sometimes a doctor doesn know for sure and needs con with a pediatrician There is much literature on the problems available Child a fears Do you find the fears of a retarded child harder to dis pel than those of a normal child Yes the fears are more difficult to dispel Some children arc co operative and once they trust its difficult to dispel the trust Retarded children are more difficult to reason with Should a retarded person be allowed to marry David Thompson A licence cannot be issued to a men tally defective person How ever it possible to be re tarded and not mentally de fective For practical pur poses there is no ban on mar for retarded persons Lawyers don make but interpret the law us ids I believe the slate should not be allowed to slot people If two people are capable of living together Ihey don have to be married to do so Yes 1 believe a retarded per son should be allowed to marry Public education Does the Board of have any program in which Ihere is a study for in senior public and high schools on Ihc subject of mental retardation Could this be put in the curriculum so we can start educating the public at an earlier age John Graham There is a greater awareness now and it will become greater as more teenagers serve as volun leers It possible to put it In the curriculum but more im portant that students see and work with the children New parents Q Does the Association have classes for new parents of a relarded child to assist o tome to the doctor for pre- I don think diet is irribly import ml is no food c tin ind be fir- of Hit of dentist is done when re needs is too frightened to hive work done in Hit Is there where parent ike ilnld where people ire mad to h indie them in accepting their re tarded child and helping them with their child Eric Taylor Yes The socltion feels it is its duty lo acquaint parents of vices available The nursery school workers offer support to families Do retarded children re quire more dental care than normal children No how ever their oral hygiene is not always adequate In excep tional cases there arc Iremendous problems Making a will How might one best make out a will lo benefit the retardate What in your ion is the best type of legacy to leave a retarded to assure his good cart and treatment after his demise David Thompson People want guarantees that if Ihey leave something a child Ihe child won t lose the benefits under the Benefits Act The best way is to leivc money in the form of a trust will to benefit Ihe child or to leave his share to Ihc North Association for the Mentally lit tinted no strings idult cease to recent government benefits until the estate money is used up A lawyer must know when you make your will jusl what want and are your tan l learn How children ire sitting in Opportunity Classes in our public schools and perhaps in our schools for re children who are judged to be low in intclli are there because they don want to learn or are unable to learn because stretch back to the very first few months of life when the learning process begins How made that he child v incap able of learning John Graham borne child ren do function less well be cause of emotional problems and we try not lo them Some move in and out of the sheltered environment We have the child assessed by i medical doctor the teachers and psychologists It is com mon for further assessment to be requested Do you guide young par to acceptance of a re tarded child and do you show them how lo tope with the people mending situation How do you pro ceed in this matter Workers wen busily per Betty Mercer Yet Many forming their duties for the different ways are used Wc guests to sec while ceramics provide Ihe parents with were heme sold elsewhere in someone to talk to we intro- the The majority of duce the parents to centres he visitors time it night for assessments and we work closely with schools and re creation departments We in troduce parents to other par of retarded children so they may help each other by offering mutual support Par relief is often the most dif problem The Centre in offers it for six years of age and over but it still a problem wilh pre schoolers The situation is compounded if the child is and mentally irents some dental problems and cheek Dr Thompson Many preg The same nant mothers worry about de- care Is given as to a normal formilics but keep their wor patient A local anaesthetic to themselves In can be used The Ontario ease of an factor Crippled Children s Centre the mother should a gene his facilities for the retarded tic work il for also the Hospital for Sick Sick Children in Toronto The Appointments can age of the mother is factor- be through the den mongolism rises drastically tist but the centres are at 40 and over Today a test of ready overcrowded Teeth fluid around the fetus should be done in the dentist lows an of the office where possible cells In some cases the If retarded adults wish tc termination of the pregnancy join i record club etc which is recommended It s impor times requires their l for all pregnant women lures can legally do so David Thompson Every one is bound by a contract no m what the understand mg of the contract is Our whole economy turns on con tract must be bound by a contract no matter who How bad How severely retarded should a chilli be before par cuts consider him for an insll Taylor There were no illernatives for a long lime Severely retarded children who are not aware of their own existence will always re quire institutional care If they can slay at home they should and if for any reason they can residences should be available I think retarded children should leave Iheir families I left mine and I think necessary Generally speaking how- aware are mentally reatared people of their handicap In re lation to socalled normal people Eric They are more aware of their handi caps than wc are The tion asked by handicap ped when they come out of an institution is Am I retard What does that mean There are lots of people who I retarded but arc sure stupid Who Incompetent The term certified in competent what does it mean in regards to mentally retarded people and whal is the procedure involved should anyone feel a mentally relarded adult should be Ihusly David Thompson As soon as a person is admitted as a resident under the Develop ment Services Act of 1974 he is tested to see if con handle his estate tent a public trustee becomes the manager of that person estate It not fair that on one doctor say so a person may be tied Incompetent The resi dent can request a public trustee lo look after his fairs A mentally retarded adult over IB can sign himself from one public residence to another Residents In Orillia con sign themselves out Retarded criminals Are there any special considerations given in trouble with the law they need a legal aid immediately With major offences you ore not guilty because you do something but It must have been done with Intent and the knowledge it was wrong It would be a very severely re tarded person who know an act was wrong if he very hard tally retarded adults in the feet so do you fine him or put courts should they commit a him on probation criminal offense This is Meriting relarded anticipating of course that What are your views as a Iheir knowledge of Ihe law is lawyer on the subject of sleri limited lization of the mentally re David Thompson There is tarded with or without a con no special consideration senting parent Should a en Once a retarded person is trainable retarded person be it His retardation won t or l children protect him even though his John Graham have no moral sense may not be as re- lo he schools and fined as others Sentencing of thcm Th school will be the relarded is difficult Jail will not have much of an After it must be made turned back vet There will by the patient The doctor is be complete Integration faced with the problem of but wc will share the facilities legality of consent A doctor tn regular schools It could be liable for damages won I be as protective an en which makes the problem but normal child more difficult The state rc P doesn have the power to educated Ihe re- That power could be ex children coming into tended to anyone and be the abused Children from Aclon and now Georgetown will be attending What plans do you hove School the fall An for Sunshine School afler addition is being made to the everyone has been integrated to accommodate the into Ihe regular school retarded child Milton child tern The Association worked w Sunshine school School until room can found within the regular schools Plans are being made to build onto a Milton public and high school Acton Flour Mills Ltd MILL ST ACTON PHONE Have Good Supplies Of lb SISAL TWINE Youll be happier with Hallidays we guarantee it Homes are now guaranteed in writing lor one full year Choose from over 120 diiferenl models Send for new page Showcase of Homes catalog guaranteed quality value and service since HOMES Mil QUALITY VALUE DISPLAY COURT Maple Ave Burlington PH handicapped Those need a night out and s times people don wanl to take the responsibility for a different child believe a 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