This program describes and illustrates steps being taken by the Plymouth State Home and Training School, Northville, Michigan, to bring mentally retarded children out of the wilderness into the mainstream of life. The wilderness is considered the rather bleak institutions in which society has attempted to isolate these children. At the Plymouth State Home and Training School, the children are encouraged to become involved in meaningful goals, not just in passing the time. Their daily activities are carefully structured but not regimented. Efforts are made to make the school as much like a home as is possible. Special programs for blind retarded children and for children with physical handicaps are noted. The special needs of children whose mental and physical condition necessitates their placement in an infirmary are also discussed along with ways of meeting their needs. Measures employed to aid in creating a climate of acceptance in the home and in the community for children leaving the school are noted.
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