I ■**** ¡§ O ven ." Dr. Clyde M. Narramore, graduate of Columbia University, New York City, is a psychologist and Consultant in Research and Guidance with one of the largest school systems in America.
Clyde M Norromore( Ed D.
ments, no arrangements for return ing home, and no spiritual influence. Exceptional Children A new girl came to my Sunday school class a few weeks ago. She has trouble walking as well as talk ing. Her parents told me that she was a spastic. Does this mean that she also has mental trouble? No, spastics are not necessarily mentally deficient. In fact, some are very bright. Some of our eminent physicians, educators and statesmen are handicapped by spasticity. Another name for this condition is cerebral palsy. It is a disturbance of muscular and/or sensory function, caused by maldevelopment or injury to the brain. This maldevelopment or injury may take place at birth, or even before or afterward. A multiple - handicap of vision, hearing and speech may be present. It may be so slight that it is not noticed, or it may be extremely seri ous. There are five broad clinical classi fications of cerebral palsy: Spastic, ataxic, athetoid, tremor and rigidity. Through good education and therapy programs much can be done for the cerebral palsied. Studies show that if education and therapy are given con currently, the cerebral palsied child progresses almost twice as fast. Of course I do not know the child about whom you write, but it is al together possible that she has average or even superior intelligence. It seems to me that your responsibility is to teach her God’s Word, just as you do the other children. As you become better acquainted with her and her parents, you will no doubt gain a better understanding of her condition. If she has no men tal impairment, she can soon be led to a saving knowledge of Christ. What a pity it would be if she, with nor mal intelligence, should go through life not knowing Christ as her per sonal Saviour, and then face eternity without God! Readers are invited to submit questions which will be answered in future issues. Address questions to Dr. Talbot's Question Box, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, California.— ED.
a radio speaker, or a pastor concern ing Christian youth groups in New York City. Tell these young people where they can see evangelical Chris tian films. By all means get them in touch with Christian summer youth camps. Jack Wyrtzen of Word of Life can give you lists of such camps. Your greatest contribution will be your own testimony of what Christ means to you. If you are not sure of your own salvation, read the enclosed tract and trust Christ as your personal Saviour. As you live each day for Him, He will give you all the op portunities you need to witness to those desperate young people who need Christ so badly! Bating What is your opinion of dating during high school? I believe that young people should be encouraged to work together, play together, serve the Lord together and have good wholesome times together. Our personalities develop in a finer, more balanced manner when we have opportunity to mix with both boys and girls. Adults, who in their youth have not had experiences of mixing with both sexes, are often handi capped as they endeavor to associate with men and women. A young minister once related how his parents discouraged him from ever dating until he was grown. He was led to believe that there was something evil about dating girls. As a result, he grew up feeling very un comfortable in the presence of wom en. As a married man and the pastor of a church, he said that he found it difficult to even shake hands with fine, godly women in his own con gregation! It is probably unfortunate that we make such a distinction between dates and having good wholesome times together in groups. Parents and youth leaders can do much to provide and plan various activities in which groups of young people can have good times together, rather than to turn young people out to have dates which might require the use of a car, with no planned activi ties, no beneficial contacts with other young people, no planned refresh
Psychology Plus I am a member of the American Psychological Association, and am a licensed psychologist under the State of New York, Department of Mental Hygiene. I am doing educational and vocational guidance in two junior high schools on the lower east side of New York City and am a licensed counselor under the Board of Educa tion. My church is Protestant. If you can send me any informa tion I could use in influencing youth in Christian living, I shall be pleased to receive it. My work is mostly with individuals, their choices of high school plans, vocations to train for, and school subjects. But my principals sometimes want my help with very difficult truants from extremely drab, uninspiring homes. We must have the religious founda tion in this work. Thank you for any findings which apply to my work. No doubt we have much training and many experiences in common. Having lived in New York City for several years I can readily under stand some of the difficult cases with which you are expected to work. You are in a strategic location. Your work presents great challenges, and you are in a position to help people more than most, psychologists. I agree with you in that we must have the religious foundation in our work. Interestingly enough there are professionally trained people in our field who claim they are Christians, and yet who tell their clients that they never “mix religion with their professional counseling.” That seems incredible to me! We read in the Scriptures that Christ is the life. If that is true, and if we have Christ, how can we leave Christ out of any thing we do or think? Since you work with individuals and their parents—individuals who are on the critical list as far as school and society are concerned, I think you could have unusual liberty in speaking to them about our matchless Saviour. Being saved is the only thing which will basically change our natures. Contact Christian business men,
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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