Mental Retardation: A Study of the Development and Expansion of the Services of the Bergen-Passaic Unit, New Jersey Association for Retarded Children, Inc., New Jersey, 1947–1965
Abstract
Background of ths Study: The future for mentally retarded children in America looks brighter than was thought possible even a few years ago. As the parents of these children continue to hammer away at public apathy, recognition of their needs is growing. It is in part due to the increasing effort of parent groups that new resources are being improved. The advent of the parent movement in behalf of the retarded children and the subsequent organization of Association for the Retarded Children at a local, state and national level created an unprecedented increase of citizen interest in the welfare of thousands of mentally retarded individuals in this country. Thousands upon thousands of dollars were spent through the years to provide programs in the different communities to meet the needs of retarded children. Then, some 10 years ago, the problem of mental retardation was suddenly pushed to the forefront after many decades of almost total neglect. Today, in more than 800 communities, groups of parents and friends of the mentally retarded are organized; a majority of the states has organized and initiated legislation making possible public schooling of retarded children once considered totally unacceptable. In some forty States, Health Departments have instituted clinical programs for the retarded, and funds from the Federal Office of Vocational Rehabilitation have become available throughout the country for pilot projects in the rehabilitation of the retarded, and the Office of Education has sponsored a comprehensive, many faceted program to explore new approach to the training and schooling of these children. The most recent is the report on mental retardation to the late Pres. John F. Kennedy. In Oct. 1961, the late Pres. Kennedy appointed 27 professionals and civic leaders to make recommendations concerning the scope of the problem of mental retardation in the United States, the major areas of concern that offer the most hope, the resources to be mobilized and the relationship between the Federal Government, the States and private resources in promoting prevention and amelioration. In response to this mandate, the panel of 27 presented a report to the President in October 1962 entitled, A Proposed Program For National Action To Combat Mental Retardation. This covers the topics of research in manpower, prevention, planning, legal problems and public attitudes. The author shall be quoting frequently from this report.
Subject Area
Social research|Mental health|Social work
Recommended Citation
Bunyi, Feliciano F, "Mental Retardation: A Study of the Development and Expansion of the Services of the Bergen-Passaic Unit, New Jersey Association for Retarded Children, Inc., New Jersey, 1947–1965" (1966). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30670843.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30670843
