Auckland to Have Clinic for Defectives

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 811, 4 November 1929, Page 11

Auckland to Have Clinic for Defectives

OPENING PROJECTED BOARD’S GOOD WORK From Our Resident Reporter WELLINGTON, Today. The projected opening of a clinic in Auckland to deal with mentally defective children is announced by Dr. T. Gray, Inspector of Mental Hospitals and Chairman of the Mental Defectives Board. The work of the new department which was constituted under the Mental Defectives Act of last year, has grown so rapidly that it is anticipated that this step will be necessary very soon. Auckland is the next biggest centre to Wellington and the claims of the South Island will follow. In Christchurch development of -the new training school at Templeton will see the opening of the special villa for girls next month. At Templeton 30 boys and 20 girls selected for occupational training are receiving special tuition to enable them to become useful members of society. The first clinic established, which is still travelling the Dominion, with headquarters at Wellington, is now examining the children in the special classes of various institutions and has received an invitation to visit one private school. Everywhere, Dr. Gray reports, the work has been taken up with the greatest understanding and sympathy, and the social service worker appointed to the clinic staff has been working most successfully. At present she is visiting over 80 homes, and her visits have been very well received. It is understood that preliminary work for the establishment of the Auckland clinic is already being performed.