I. SOURCE OF MATERIAL 



A Study of Handicapped Children is a title needing spe- 

 cific definition, as the word ''handicapped" embraces a wide 

 field of deficiency, whereas this study is limited to the one 

 group of ''crippled" children. This term "crippled" excludes 

 the blind and the deaf, and includes only orthopedic deformi- 

 ties. The 150 cases of crippled children which are surveyed 

 in this study were obtained from the records of the Social 

 Service Department of Indiana University. These cases were 

 with few exceptions given medical or surgical treatment in 

 the free clinics of the Indianapolis City Dispensary and the 

 Robert W. Long Hospital, and were referred to the Social 

 Service Department for investigation of the social factors in- 

 volved. The cripples included here are limited to those under 

 eighteen years of age, the average age proving to be eight 

 years. There are 76 girls and 74 boys among the total 150; 

 and of these there are 7 cases of negroes. As the Social Serv- 

 ice Department has two fields for its work — the State Hos- 

 pital and the City Dispensary — these cases include representa- 

 tives from both sources. 



The hospital cases here cited include all the cases referred 

 to the Social Service Department of crippled children under 

 eighteen years of age admitted to the Robert W. Long Hospi- 

 tal from the opening of the hospital in 1914 till March 1, 

 1919, — a total sum of 128 cases. There is constantly an 

 enormous waiting list of applicants for admission to the hos- 

 pital, but since the crippled cases are seldom emergency cases, 

 they are frequently kept waiting for cases demanding immedi- 

 ate attention. As the hospital is a state institution, only a 

 limited number of city cases are admitted unless offering an 

 unusual or instructive clinic for the medical students. More 

 frequently in Indianapolis they are sent to the City Hospital. 

 State cases are admitted more easily and in greater num- 

 bers, and the Long Hospital has attained a popular reputa- 

 tion thru the state of Indiana from the number of cripples 

 who have been cured or helped there, and who have returned 

 home to spread the tale of their marvelous care among their 

 respective localities ! There is one drawback to the efficiency 

 of the care given, these state cases: in a general hospital it 

 is impossible to keep the patients (except in rare cases) for 



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