The Texas Plan to Combat Mental Retardation

flflflhfMNT R IIMP, EC 003 519 ED 030 227 The Texas Plan to Combat MentalRetardation. Committee Governor's Advisory Committee onMental Retardation Planning,Austin, Tex.; Governor's Interagency on MentalRetardation Planning, Austin, Tex. Spans Agency -Public Health Service(DHEW), Washington, D.C. Pub Date Jun 66 Note -99p. EDRS Price ME -$0.50 HC -$5.05 *Exceptional Child Services, HealthServces, Descriptors -Community Programs,Day Care Programs, Etiology, Medical Treatment, *Mentally Handicapped.Personnel Needs, Prevention, Incidence, Interagency Coordination, Special Classes, State Legislation, *Program Planning, Research Needs,Residential Programs, Social Welfare, *State Programs, VocationalRehabilitation The Texas state plan c.,f actionagains't mental retardation ispresnted. Aspects considered include the evolutionof the plan. the roleof the health services,medical rehabthtation and aspectsofretardation,education andtraining.vocational welfare, Also surveyed arethe following, residentialand day employment. and social concerning the care. manpower,research for preventionand cure. Texas law retarded, localaction and public awareness,organization andcoordination of statewide and communityefforts, and legislation andfinance. (LE) NORGE* *PAMPA °AMARILLO PLAINVIEw PAMS WICHITA FALLS e TEXARKANA LUSIOCK ,RAo:NE DENTON 01/IV'S(' 141 tZ1,\ HALTOM Y LONGVIEW FORTWORTeHt;;;41*04::::: MARSHALL AO' * TYLER t ARMEN E t. MG sritiNG tAIDLAND ODESSA WACO LUFKIN SAN ANGELO KILLEEN TEMPLE 1RYAN SEAUMONT ORANGE AUSTIN HOUVN'le, PORT ARTHUR WEST UNIVERSITY TLACITETIIP AD SELLAIRE1 S CITY GALVESTON DEL MO SAN ANTONIO ALICE ItPUS CHMSTI LAREDO KINGSVILLE. EDWIN*. sAN, qo 'NTS, Tke Twas Pea% taCatxbat Need Reta4datok U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR PONCY. THE TEXAS PLAN TO COMBATMENTAL RETARDATION Prepared By The GOVERNOR'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MENTAL RETARDATIONPLANNING And The GOVERNOR'S INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON MENTAL RETARDATIONPLANNING Austin, Texas June, 1966 JOHN CONNALLY Governor INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON TEXAS MENTAL RETARDATION PLANNING STUDY MENTAL RETARDATION PLANNING Office Location: Mailing Address: 4405 N. Lamar Blvd. STUART C. FISHER, M.P.H. Box S, Capitol Station Ph. GL 3-7231 Planning Director Austin78711 INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE TO THE GOVERNOR, THE INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE, AND THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS: Chairman: Bill Cobb, Executive Budget Director Gwent's Office Richwd L. Coffman. Completion of the Recommendations for the Development of the Texas Administrator Employment Commission Plan to Combat Mental Retardation was another important step in our J. W. Edgar, Commissioner of Education continuing statewide and community efforts to provide better care and Education Agency more comprehensive services for the mentally retarded. Charles S. Eskridge, Executive Director Regional Mental Retardation Training Center Thousands of Texas citizens, and public officials at every level of The University of Texas J. E. Peavy, M.D., M.P.H. State and local government, have contributed time, talent, and energy Commissioner of Health Department of Health to this project. They have worked together in: James E. Turman, Ph.D., Executive Director Texas Youth Council * Public briefings in 17 major cities. Jess M. Irwin. Jr.. Executive Director Board for Hospitals and Special Schools *Mayors' Commission studies in 58 Texas cities. John Winters, Commissioner Department of Public Welfare * State Task Force writing sessions which brought the findings and recommendations together. Periodic sessions of the Governor's Advisory Committee. ADVISORY COMMITTEE * Chairman: Judge Herman Jones *Day-by-day work of the State agencies serving the retarded and the State Planning Office. SPECIAL CONSULTANT Charles Meisgeier, D.Ed. All of the efforts which went into the preparation of the recommendations are greatly appreciated. After approval by your statewide Governor's Advisory Coimnittee, on behalf of the many people who assisted in their preparation, the recommendations were printed in final form and presented to the Honorable John Connally, Governor of Texas, at the Governor's Conference on Mental Retardation in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 1966. Your Advisory Committee is indebted to you for your leadership and participation in this planning effort and earnestly solicits your continuing support in carrying into action the recommendations embodied in the Texas Plan to Combat Mental Retardation. THE GO NOR'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE Herman Jones, Ch an This study was supported in part by a Mental Retardation Planning Grant awarded by The Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare iv FOREWORD Texas is taking an active part in the nationwide offensive against mental retardation. The Texas Plan to Combat Mental Retardation is the State's blueprint for action. The Governor's Interagency Committee, composed of chief State officers whose agencies have direct or indirect responsibilities for providing services to the mentally retarded citizens of Texas, accepted the Recom- mendations for the Development of the Texas Plan to Combat Mental Retardation from the Governor's Ad- visory Committee. These recommendations, with certain revisions deemed necessary by the Interagency Committee, are presented in this book as the official Texas Plan to Combat Mental Retardation. Some of the recommendations are directed at the people of Texas in their local communities. Grass roots support will be required for their successful implementation. Other recommendations will requirethe accep- tance of the Texas Legislature if they are to be translated into State law. Still other recommendations are directed at certain State agencies, as represented by the members of the Governor's Interagency Committee. These agencies will do what they canwithin the limits of staff, finances, time and legal authorizationto help implement the Texas Plan recommendations. THE GOVERNOR'S INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE Bill B. Cobb, Chairman June, 1966 ORGER PAMPA N PARIS SHERMAN EENVILLE '0 MARSHALL 11G SPRING LUFKIN SAN ANGELO KILLEEN RRYAN RANGE ORT ARTHUR EST UNIVERS! ITY GALVESTON DEL RIO VICTORIA ALICE PUS CHRISTI LAREDO KINGSVILL KEY EDINIU(G, IO cL Mayor's Commissions NSVILLE Mayor's Commissions and Public Briefing Map showing areas covered by Public Briefings and cities with activeMayor's Commissions The 17 Texas cities represented by Public Briefings on Mental Retardation Planning areindicated by the large circles on the above map. Cities represented by the Mayors' Commissions arenamed and indicated by the small dots covering all major population centers in Texas. ( Map drawing courtesyof Texas Talk, official pub- lication of the Texas Asso-iation for Retarded Children.) CONTENTS Page Letter of Transmittal from the Governor's Advisory Committee iii Foreword Contents vii 1.Evolution of the Texas Plan 1 2.The Role of Health Services 7 3.Medical Aspects of Mental Retardation 21 4.Education and Training 37 5.Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment 41 6.Social Welfare 45 7.Residential and Day Care for the Retarded 51 8.ManpowerThe Key to Providing Needed Services 59 9.Research for Better Methods of Prevention and Care 63 10.Texas Law and the Mentally Retarded 67 11.Local Action and Public Awareness 73 12.Organization and Coordination of Statewide and Community Efforts ... 79 13.Legislation and Finance 83 Appendix 85 Interagency Committee on Mental Retardation Plann!ng 85 Governor's Advisory Committee on Mental Retardation Planning 85 The 12 State Task Forces 86 The 58 Mayors' Commissions on Mental Retardation Planning: Mayors, Commission Chairmen, Members 87 Chairmen, State Agency Planning Committees 98 State Planning Office Staff 98 vii 1.EVOLUTION OF THE TEXAS PLAN MENTAL RETARDATION DEFINED their limited energy on making ends meet; they have neither the means nor the skillto provide their children with stimulating environmental surroundings The mentally retarded are identified as children such as good conversation, books, and other intellec- and adults who, as a result of inadequately developed tualandculturaladvantages which are almost intelligence, are significantly impaired in their ability automatically bestowed upon children of the middle to learn and to adapt to the society inwhich they and upper income groups. live. Two general types of mental retardation exist: ( 1 ) Those conditions which are the direct result of Children in these less fortunate families arrive organic pathological processes, either anatomical or at school age equipped with neither the experience bio-chemical, which damage the brain, and ( 2) those nor the skills necessary forformal education, They conditions which result from environmental circum- are backward in language and inthe ability for stances and have no known physiologic or anatomic abstract thinking which is necessary for reading and basis but are either psychogenic or socio-cultural writing and numerical activities. in origin. From these families come many of the dull, the special classes. Fifteento twenty per cent of the mentally borderline individuals who fill retarded suffer from the first, or pathological type. Their failure to learn becomes complicated by frustra- It has been estimated that there are two or three tion and anxiety, and some may graduate into patterns hundred diseases resulting in pathological damage

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