Handicapped Children in Georgia: A Study of Prevalence, Disability, Needs, and Resources

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Abstract
The Cerebral Palsy Society and the Crippled Children''s Society of Georgia sponsored a study of prevalence, functional disability, and services needed in respect to 12 handicapping conditions in children under 21 years of age. The conditions were: cerebral palsy, cleft palate and lip, cosmetic, epilepsy, eye and vision, hearing, heart, mental retardation, orthodontic, orthopedic, personality disturbance, and speech. Information was derived from widespread community reporting, and a 10% sample of households in 2 counties. Presumptive diagnoses were confirmed at multi-professional clinics. Comparison was made of the productivity and accuracy of the voluntary and canvass methods of reporting. The estimated number of handicapped children per 1000 children under 21 in the counties was 108, and the following numbers for each of the respective diagnoses: cosmetic, 43; mental retardation, 40; personality disturbance, 29; speech, 29; eye and vision, 24; hearing, 19; orthopedic, 17; orthodontic, 16; heart, 10; cerebral palsy, 5; epilepsy, 4; cleft palate and lip, 1. Among the handicapped children, there was an average of 2.2 diagnoses per child. The estimated numbers of different types of functional disability per 1000 children were: educational, 62; social non-acceptance, 52; cosmetic, 49; personal maladjustment, 39; mental retardation, 36; maladjustment of family, 35; speech, 33; vocational, 24; hearing, 19; dental, 17; vision, 16; walking, 14, upper extremities, 7; seizures, 3; general activity, 1. The percentages of handicapped children needing the most common types of services were: rehabilitation appraisal and plan, 100; counseling, guidance, parent education, 70; special education, 34; short-term hospital care, 31; vocational aid, 18; therapies (P.T., O.T., orthoptics), 15; orthodontic, 10; institutional care, 10. The greatest single unmet need in the care of handicapped children is family counseling.
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