A study of handicapped children in a typical urban community in Cape Town

The provision of health, welfare, education and community services for children with severe mental retardation and for those with cerebral palsy, and the extent to which these were made use of, were examined. There was found to be a lack of day training facilities and educational services for mentally handicapped children. Day training and educational facilities for the less severely affected children with cerebral palsy were good, but there were no facilities for the untrainable, severely handicapped children. The presence and management of additional handicaps were examined, as were the needs of patients and their families in the regard. The prevalence of mental handicap was 2,5/1000 children aged under 18 years and that of cerebral palsy 1,25/1000.