The Learning Disabled ChildAuthor(s): Edith K. MarcherSource: Canadian Journal of Public Health / Revue Canadienne de Sante'e Publique, Vol. 62, No.5 (September/October 1971), pp. 452-453Published by: Canadian Public Health AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41987006 .

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144 recommendations will step on someone's toes, leading to inaction. It is unlikely that quasi non-governmental organizations such as Ontario's Children's Aid Societies will ac- cept the view that they represent the "worst of both worlds" and quickly apply for their dissolution. It is equally unlikely that some professional associations will accept the Commission's view that they should be more responsive to the consumer, lift restrictions on admission to the field, and provide ade- quate government and consumer representa- tion on their licensing boards.

There will continue to be "spotty" accept- ance of recommendations within a service field or a professional group. However, if we really want to tackle the massive problems and the full scope of recommendations for the benefit of our one million children, then I suggest we require at both national and lo- cal levels a regrouping of major associations in the personal care field, particularly those which involve citizens and are concerned with planning. There must be a concerted ap- proach to implementation, just as there was to the original study.

M. T. O'Brien, m.s.w.

Executive Director Family and Children's Services

of London and Middlesex Box 848, Postal Station B, London 12, Ontario

Community Health Commentary July/ August 1971 to the editor: I read the commentary with great interest and would like to comment further on the community of Shamattawa, which was so ably reported by Miss Jones. First of all, Shamattawa is located approxi- mately 260 miles northeast of Norway

452 Canadian Journal of Public Health

House and not 260 southwest. The latter location would place Shamattawa in the vicinity of Dauphin, Manitoba, and not in its present isolated and very inaccessible location. Secondly, a detailed food cost sur- vey was carried out in Shamattawa during the summer by this Department, and it was found that food costs in the community were 72.9 per cent higher than in Winnipeg.

The above points may reinforce the im- pressions of Miss Jones regarding the diffi- culty of living and working in this com- munity.

L. M. Black, m.b., ch.b., d.p.h.

Regional Director, Manitoba Region Medical Services Branch 705 Commercial Building 1 69 Pioneer Avenue Winnipeg 1, Manitoba

The Learning Disabled Child dear dr. moghadam: A recent exchange of letters with John V. V. Nicholls, M.D. re- garding the role of the school nurse in the identification of children with specific learn- ing disabilities, resulted in the author gener- ously forwarding a copy of his article "Read- ing Disorders in School Children" published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, September 1969.

Your editorial comment was a very pleas- ant surprise and disclosed perceptive under- standing, not only of the role of the public health or school nurse, but the entire interdis- ciplinary approach to the problems of the learning disabled child.

It has been my contention that the school nurse has not played an adequate role in the identification of these children. For this rea- son I am working on a Master's project at California State College, Los Angeles, "The Role of the School Nurse in the Interdiscipli- nary Approach to the Identification and Fol-

Vol. 62

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low Up of Children with Specific Learning Disorders."

Your editorial comment inviting a re- sponse from your readers as to how they saw most positive statement regarding the subject the role of the school nurse has been the that I have found. I would appreciate any support you can offer regarding the response to this editorial. It has been of great concern that my "review of the literature" disclosed very little written information concerning the role of the nurse in this area.

Most of the literature reviewed refers to the role of the social worker. Yet it has been my experience that there has rarely been a social worker available to school personnel. There is also an overlapping of education and counseling experience which exists for the school nurse and social worker.

As you have stated, the nurse, with her specialized background, should quickly be able to recognize the possibility of develop- mental differences. To fail to help the "whole child" is to fail the whole child.

My observations have made me aware that Canada has played a leadership role in this area. Thank you again for your support of the nursing role.

Edith K. Marcher, r.n.

15056 Greenworth Dr. La Mirada, California 90638 U.S.A.

September/ October 1971

Request from India to the editor: I shall be very much obliged if you kindly publish my letter in your es- teemed "correspondence" column in the next issue of your Journal.

I am very eager to know about the public health work and research done in Canada, and to be informed about it from time to time. As a medical research scientist working in the field of occupational and public health and epidemiology, I not only would like to be aware of such work done in Canada but would also like to contact such Canadian sci- entists whose work or research is in my area of interest.

I do not find your Journal in the hospi- tals here nor do I find it in the libraries of the Research Station. The place Dhanbad where I work is a coal mining town and it is not possible to get your Journal for reading. It is also difficult to motivate the authorities to subscribe to your Journal. I would have subscribed to your Journal, but one's econo- my does not permit one to subscribe to more than three or four journals at a time.

I would like to ask any of your Canadian subscribers if they could please send me their used copies regularly.

S. H. Clerk, m.d., b.s., d.p.h., d.i.h.

Vijay Niwas Harigopal Mazumdar Road Dhanbad, Bihar, India.

Letters 453

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