title: Independence for the physically disabled.
abstract: The difficulties in giving even relative independence to handicapped children are reviewed. A compromise has to be worked out between too much and too little independence. The personality of the child will be a governing factor, but there are many environmental influences. Not least among these are the attitudes of the parents, and to what extent they accept the handicapped child and encourage self-reliance. Education must be realistically based on the child's ability and likely potentials on leaving school. Acquiring daily-living skills may be as important as academic qualifications. More needs to be learnt about the balance between independence and over-protection, and the success of management for an individual child can only be judged when maturity is reached with adequate self-confidence, and a maximal ability to compete in the adult world.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*