Parents battle to help handicapped child

Press, 13 February 1988, Page 22

Parents battle to help handicapped child

Tomorrow’s Sunday Movie, “Kids Like These” (8.30 p.m. on Two) is the story of a couple whose son is born with Down’s Syndrome. The film coincides with New Zealand’s national I.H.C. appeal. Joanna Goodman (played by Tyne Daly of “Cagney and Lacey”) gives birth to her first child by her husband Bob (Richard Crenna). At the delivery, even as the new born baby is lifted up by the doctor, there are the early signs of retardation, including slanted eyes. The baby is rushed out of the delivery suite and the doctor later recommends that they institutionalise little Alex and tell their friends it was a still-birth, — preferably straight away, before “a bond is formed.” Devastated and frightened by the news, the Goodmans nevertheless ignore the doctor’s advice and set to work educating their son. Joanna throws herself into a programme of mus-„ cle tone development through exercise, and colour therapy, surrounding Alex with vibrant colours and objects — even giving him a bath in jelly to

stimulate his colour sense. She becomes actively involved with organisations for parents with Down’s Syndrome children and gives much of her time to lecturing, making appearances and

running to people’s aid. At the same time she teaches Alex maths and to speak words in four languages — reaching goals previously thought impossible for a Down’s Syndrome child.

Alex Goodman is played by five Down’s Syndrome children of different ages in the film. “We thought we had to be true to the material and have Down’s Syndrome children performing and also doing the | lines,” says Georg Stanford Brown, producer- I director of “Kids Like These” and Tyne Daly’s husband. “Only one young man was dubbed, and his voice ■was done by Jason, the Down’s Syndrome son of Emily Perl Kingsley, whose story is told in film.” Kingsley, a four-time Emmy Award winner and- “ Sesame Street” writer for 17 years, co-wrote the script with Allan Sloane. Her son Jason, now 13, was virtually written off at birth because of his disability. She considers it criminal not to educate _ such children, simply because a label is pinned on them, and wrote “Kids Like these” to draw attention to the problem. “Kids Like These” also starts Martin 1 Balsam as * Joanna’s father and David Kaufman as Bob’s son, , Ritchie. (