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mankind reach the limit of development between fourteen and twenty- 

 one. A mind that never gets beyond thirteen is just able to make a living. 

 Above eight and below thirteen comes the moron, a person between normal 

 and imbecile. He can be taught routine tasks, lay bricks, make parts of 

 shoes, do tailoring, farm work. etc.. as well as any one. provided some 

 one else does the directing and planning; he never gets beyond twelve 

 years old. True imbeciles never develop beyond seven. The mind of an 

 idiot closes before three. 



When the brain stops developing — and it may occur as early as the 

 third year — the time is practically past when it is possible to give a 

 training that will help the child to earn a living. 



Any one who deals with a large number of persons realizes how in- 

 telligence varies from those with practically none to the very gifted, and 

 that responsibility varies according to the intelligence. Some of these 

 persons, under simple environment, seem to function normally : but when 

 placed where the environment becomes too complex normal functioning 

 becomes impossible. 



Among a number of inislit pupils observed in grade classes and re- 

 cently tested, were two. tbirteen years old, who had made no real progress 

 for five years : two. eleven years old who had lost four years ; a girl of 

 thirteen who had made no real progress for six years: but all had been 

 promoted, though the work accomplished had been, at best, mere rote 

 work, with no more real intelligence than that of a parrot taught to say 

 a rhyme. Two girls of seven years were mentally less than three. 



To attend a class where normal children are receiving instruction 

 does not help the undeveloped child. "Learning can not penetrate like a 

 cold storage chill." ''Mind building is like house building; there must be 

 a foundation on which it rests." 



Undoubtedly all intelligent persons agree that, no matter what a 

 child's lack of mentality, the hopelessly idiotic and imbecile types should 

 be trained in the schools tbe States maintain for their segregation and 

 care. These most deficient children comprise only a very small per cent, 

 of the school membership (i of 1%). often tbe most troublesome public 

 school cases are pupils of the borderland types; those just between normal 

 and subnormal. 



Since the compulsory education law exempts children, mentally and 

 physically disabled from its operation, these pupils, and those of lower 



G— 4000 



