Among the larger and more neglected groups of handicapped people in the U.S. are the cerebral palsiedor "spastics," as they are often loosely called. Cerebral palsy (estimated U.S. cases: 500,000) is almost as common as infantile paralysis, and until recently, its sufferers were often carelessly regarded as feebleminded. Thousands of its victims were put away in institutions.
For five days last week in Manhattan's Statler Hotel, some 12,000 parents, doctors and social workers turned out for the first National Conference on Cerebral Palsy. Research and slow, tedious treatment have proved that 75% of...