Part 9 (1/2)

_M. S. Girl, age 7-6; mental age 4-6; I Q 60._ Father a gardener, home conditions and medical attention fair. Has twice attempted first grade, but without learning to read more than a few words. In each case teacher requested parents to withdraw her. ”Takes” things. Is considered ”foolish” by the other children. Will probably never develop beyond a mental level of 8 years.

_R. M. Boy, age 15; mental age 9; I Q 60._ Decidedly superior home environment and care. After attending school eight years is in fifth grade, though he cannot do the work of the fourth grade. Parents unable to teach him to respect property. Boys torment him and make his life miserable. At middle-moron level and has probably about reached the limit of his development. Has since been committed to a state inst.i.tution.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 5. WRITING FROM DICTATION. R. M., AGE 15; MENTAL AGE 9]

_S. M. Girl, age 19-2; mental age 10; I Q approximately 65 (not counting age beyond 16)._ From very superior family. Has attended public and private schools twelve years and has been promoted to seventh grade, where she cannot do the work. Appears docile and childlike, but is subject to spells of disobedience and stubbornness. Did not walk until 4 years old. Plays with young children. Susceptible to attention from men and has to be constantly guarded. Writing excellent, knows the number combinations, but missed all the absurdities and has the vocabulary of an average 10-year-old. The type from which prost.i.tutes often come.

_R. H. Boy, age 14; mental age 8-4; I Q 65._ Father Irish, mother Spanish. Family comfortable and home care average. Has attended school eight years and is unable to do fourth-grade work satisfactorily. Health excellent and attendance regular.

Reads in fourth reader without expression and with little comprehension of what is read. Fair skill in number combinations. Writing and drawing very poor. Cannot use a ruler.

Has no conception of an inch.

R. H. is described as high-tempered, irritable, lacking in physical activity, clumsy, and unsteady. Plays little. Just ”stands around.” Indifferent to praise or blame, has little sense of duty, plays underhand tricks. Is slow, absent-minded, easily confused, in thought, never shows appreciation or interest. So apathetic that he does not hear commands. Voice droning. Speech poor in colloquial expressions.

Three years later, at age of 17, was in a special cla.s.s attempting sixth-grade work. Reported as doing ”absolutely nothing” in that grade. Still sullen, indifferent, and slow in grasping directions, and lacking in play interests. ”No apperception of anything, but has mastered such mechanical things as reading (calling the words) and the fundamentals in arithmetic.”

In school work, moral traits, and out-of-school behavior R. H.

shows himself to be a typical case of moron deficiency.

_I. M. Girl, age 14-2; mental age 9; I Q approximately 65._ Father a laborer. Does unsatisfactory work in fourth grade.

Plays with little girls. A menace to the morals of the school because of her s.e.x interests and lack of self-restraint. Rather good-looking if one does not hunt for appearances of intelligence. Mental reactions intolerably slow. Will develop but little further and will always pa.s.s as feeble-minded in any but the very lowest social environment.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 6. BALL AND FIELD TEST. I. M., AGE 14-2; MENTAL AGE 9]

_G. V. Boy, age 10; mental age 6-4; I Q 65._ Father Spanish, mother English. Family poor but fairly respectable. Brothers and sisters all r.e.t.a.r.ded. In high first grade. Work all very poor except writing, drawing, and hand work, in all of which he excels. Is quiet and inactive, lacks self-confidence, and plays little. Mentally slow, inert, ”thick,” and inattentive. Health fair.

Three years later G. V. was in the low third grade and still doing extremely poor work in everything except manual training, drawing, and writing. Is not likely ever to go beyond the fourth or fifth grade however long he remains in school.

_V. J. Girl, age 11-6; mental age 8; I Q 70._ Has been tested three times in the last five years, always with approximately the same result in terms of I Q. Home fair to inferior. Has been in a special cla.s.s two years and in school altogether nearly six years. Is barely able to do third-grade work. Her feeble-mindedness is recognized by teachers and by other pupils.

Belongs at about middle-moron to high-moron level.

_A. W. Boy, age 9-4; mental age 7; I Q 75._ A year and a half ago he tested at 6-2. From superior family, brothers of very superior intelligence. In school three years and has made about a grade and a half. Has higher I Q than V. J. described above, but his deficiency is fully as evident. Is generally recognized as mentally defective. Slyly abstracted one of the pennies used in the test and slipped it into his pocket. Has caused much trouble at school by puncturing bicycle tires. High-grade moron.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 7. DIAMOND DRAWN BY A. W.]

_A. C. Boy, age 12; mental age 8-5; I Q 70._ From Portuguese family of ten children. Has a feeble-minded brother. Parents in comfortable circ.u.mstances and respectable. A. C. has attended school regularly since he was 6 years old. Trying unsuccessfully to do the work of the fourth grade. Reads poorly in the third reader. Hesitates, repeats, miscalls words, and never gets the thought. Writes about like a first-grade pupil. Cannot solve such simple problems as ”How many marbles can you buy for ten cents if one marble costs five cents?” even when he has marbles and money in his hands. Described by teacher as ”mentally slow and inert, inattentive, easily distracted, memory poor, ideas vague and often absurd, does not appreciate stories, slow at comprehending commands.” Is also described as ”unruly, boisterous, disobedient, stubborn, and lacking sense of propriety. Tattles.”

Three years later, at age of 15, was in a special cla.s.s and was little if any improved. He had, however, learned the mechanics of reading and had mastered the number combinations.

Deficiencies described as ”of wide range.” Conduct, however, had improved. Was ”working hard to get on.”

A. C. must be considered definitely feeble-minded.

_H. S. Boy, age 11; mental age 8-3; I Q approximately 75._ At 8 years tested at 6. Parents highly educated, father a scholar.

Brother and sister of very superior intelligence. Started to school at 7, but was withdrawn because of lack of progress.