Die gestremde leerling

The ultimate goal of every handicapped person is to achieve as great a degree as possible of independence, that is, to do as much as possible for himself. He does not need sympathy or to be smothered in charity but only a chance to succeed according to his potential maximum achievement. The physically handicapped child should always be seen primarily as a child and secondarily as a child with a handicap. He has the same needs and requirements, as the ordinary healthy child, of love and security, but he does need an extra bit of understanding and assistance to take him over the hurdle of his handicap. For that reason special schools have been founded to accommodate the different types of handicapped children. The handicapped child’s orientation to his world can only be successfully constituted if he has a healthy pedagogical relationship at home as well as at school