People Not Patients

The abilities of mentally handicapped people to learn and to develop are often greatly underestimated, with the result that educational and other services provided for them are seriously inadequate. First published in 1979, People Not Patients discusses just what can be done by, with, and for the mentally handicapped. The author reports positive achievements of mentally handicapped people and the staff who work with them but bases his account on the premise that a great deal more can be done if we apply what we already know. The book examines the main developments in the field at each stage in the life of the mentally handicapped person, starting with infancy and the pre-school period and then continuing through the school years; it pays particular attention to the period of school leaving, and moves on to consider the range of provisions for adults. Chapters are also devoted to particular areas of need such as housing and the future role of hospitals, and, with the proposals of the Warnock Committee in mind, the author concludes with some suggestions for staff training and development. The emphasis throughout is on helping mentally handicapped people to learn – a task which calls not only for skilled teachers, but for an educational approach in the widest sense, involving everyone who encounters mentally handicapped people.