DEFINITIONS:-
Mental Handicap;
Moderate Mental Handicap : I. Q. 50 - 69
Severe Mental Handicap : I. Q. 25 - 49
Profound Mental Handicap : I.Q. 0 - 24
a) Residential Services
1.0 Licensed Homes; provide care for profoundly or severely handicapped person, usually children
2.0 Schools for Special Needs: provide education for moderatly to severely mentally handicapped children, usually between the ages of 6 and 18 years. Children attending these schools have been exempted from formal education. Hostel facilities are provided.
3.0 Residential Centres with Protective Workshop: are meant for adult persons who are physically or mentally disabled and who are not able to meet the requirements of sheltered employment factories. Workers are usually in receipt of a disability grant, which is supplemented by a small allowance to stimulate production.
4.0 Group Homes: are small centres for mentally handicapped persons, usually catering for 6-12 persons of all ages, with or without houseparents.
5.0 Shelters: make provision for temporary accomadation for mentally disabled persons.
6.0 Holiday/Respite Centres: provide temporary care for mentally retarded persons while parents or relatives are away on leave.
b) Non Residential Services:-
1.0 Information Centres: are central places where information on mental handicapped may be obtained
2.0 Genetic Counselling: is provided by professionals in the field, usually having access to medical research facilities, for the purpose of:
(i) advising parents of risks of abnormality of future children
(ii) alerting the medical profession to special risks in as yet unborn child.
(iii) reducing the number of children born with genetic predisposition to serious abnormality including mental handicap.
3.0 Assessment: refers tothe various procedures employed by professionally trained people to evaluate learning, adjustment and other qualities of individuals and to obtain estimates of their abilities.
4.0 Home based programs: equip parents to stimulate the development of their children affected by mental handicap, at home.
5.0 Toy Libraries: are lending services available to parents of disabled children, both physically or mentally. For a nominal membership fee parents and organisations gain access to educational toys, books and other material that may be of value in the education, training and stimulation of the child with a handicap.
6.0 Special Care Centres: are units which offer development and stimulation programs. It may or may not be attached to a residential centre.It is a centre for the development, stimulation and care of mentally handicapped people, who on account of their severe degree of disability(IO usually below 30), young age or secondary physical disabilities are ineligible to a Special Needs School.
Last Updated 28th February, 2000