Bases for Working with Mentally Retarded and Physically Handicapped Children

Abstract

Any defect or physical handicap whatsoever challenges an organism to overcome that defect, to make up for the deficiency and to compensate for the loss which it represents. Thus, the result of a defect is invariably twofold and contradictory. On one hand, it weakens the organism, undermines its activity, and acts as a negative force. On the other, precisely because it makes the organism’s activity difficult and disturbs it, the defect acts as an incentive to heightened development in the organism’s other functions; it nudges, awakens the organism to redoubled activity, activity which might compensate for the deficit and overcome the difficulty. This is a general law, equally applicable to the biology and to the psychology of an organism: The negative character of a defect acts as a stimulus to heightened development and activity. Two basic types of compensation can be distinguished: direct and organic, and indirect or psychological. The first usually takes place when one of a pair of organs is impaired or destroyed. For example, when a kidney or lung fails, the remaining organ in the pair develops compensatorily, taking over the function of the ailing organ. Whenever direct compensation is not possible, then the central nervous system and psychological apparatus bear the burden of creating a protective superstructure over the ailing or deficit organ. This superstructure is composed of higher functions which fulfill the tasks of the defective organ. According to A. Adler, awareness of an organ defect serves as a perpetual stimulus to psychological development.