Betty Flint – författare

New Hope for Deprived Children is the carefully documented story of the development of a group of children from infancy through early adolescence. Exhibiting the effects of severe institutional deprivation in the early part of their lives, these children became the focus of a therapeutic programme within an institution designed to relieve their serious developmental deficiencies. The programme and its effects confirmed the faith of the researchers involved that recovery to a certain degree was possible, even with an institutional setting. Further recovery was effected by later placement in foster and adoptive homes.

The lives of twenty-eight of these children have been recorded and the data analysed. This book presents their stories in both human and scientific terms. The guidance procedures and therapeutic intervention were based on a personality theory of ''security,'' which allowed the research and guidance team to provide a consistent frame of reference to all procedures designed to move the children increasingly closer to ''normal'' behaviour. The range of adaptation to homes and community reflects the individual capacities of each child and the capacities of each family to sponsor such individuality. Both the group analysis and the individual histories provide fascinating information and, additionally, pose many fundamental questions about human development.

This book contains a great deal of information about the personality of young babies. But its greatest fascination lies not in the information it is able to supply but in the many unanswered questions it raises.  The author is convinced that each baby manifests his particular personality qualities very early in life, and the way that these are received by the environment into which he has been thrust will largely determine how he will stand up to the stresses of his future life.  The development of a mental health assessment form as a yardstick by which a large variety of babies can be evaluated should help unfold some of the teasing obscurities of personality as they are revealed in infancy. If personality is a constant from early life to adulthood, such an instrument, revealing basic qualities in infancy, should lead therefore to greater understanding through school age and to adulthood and help reveal the effect of environmental experiences on a growing child.

The thesis of the book is that mental health in infancy is derived from a close dependent relationship with a mother-figure who gives a child an opportunity to form a dependent trust in her care and affection. From this relationship is derived the desire to become effortful, outgoing and independent in one''s world, which leads eventually to trust in oneself as a person of uniqueness and worth.  The book should have greatest appeal to child care workers, psychiatrists and pediatricians. Research centres for child development should be interested in the experimental aspect of the work. 

New Hope for Deprived Children is the carefully documented story of the development of a group of children from infancy through early adolescence. Exhibiting the effects of severe institutional deprivation in the early part of their lives, these children became the focus of a therapeutic programme within an institution designed to relieve their serious developmental deficiencies. The programme and its effects confirmed the faith of the researchers involved that recovery to a certain degree was possible, even with an institutional setting. Further recovery was effected by later placement in foster and adoptive homes.

The lives of twenty-eight of these children have been recorded and the data analysed. This book presents their stories in both human and scientific terms. The guidance procedures and therapeutic intervention were based on a personality theory of ''security,'' which allowed the research and guidance team to provide a consistent frame of reference to all procedures designed to move the children increasingly closer to ''normal'' behaviour. The range of adaptation to homes and community reflects the individual capacities of each child and the capacities of each family to sponsor such individuality. Both the group analysis and the individual histories provide fascinating information and, additionally, pose many fundamental questions about human development.

This book contains a great deal of information about the personality of young babies. But its greatest fascination lies not in the information it is able to supply but in the many unanswered questions it raises.  The author is convinced that each baby manifests his particular personality qualities very early in life, and the way that these are received by the environment into which he has been thrust will largely determine how he will stand up to the stresses of his future life.  The development of a mental health assessment form as a yardstick by which a large variety of babies can be evaluated should help unfold some of the teasing obscurities of personality as they are revealed in infancy. If personality is a constant from early life to adulthood, such an instrument, revealing basic qualities in infancy, should lead therefore to greater understanding through school age and to adulthood and help reveal the effect of environmental experiences on a growing child.

The thesis of the book is that mental health in infancy is derived from a close dependent relationship with a mother-figure who gives a child an opportunity to form a dependent trust in her care and affection. From this relationship is derived the desire to become effortful, outgoing and independent in one''s world, which leads eventually to trust in oneself as a person of uniqueness and worth.  The book should have greatest appeal to child care workers, psychiatrists and pediatricians. Research centres for child development should be interested in the experimental aspect of the work.