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22
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
COPY
September 30, 1969
Mrs. Marie Friedel
Dear Mrs. Friedel:
Thank you for sending me the copy of Gifted Children and their
Needs in Rhode Island. It came this morning, after wandering
around somewhere in the mail.
Thus far, all the testimony seems to favor passage of the
legislation to assist in the education of the gifted and
talented; however, program form and substance will still depend
upon the exercise of local options. The material you sent will
be particularly useful background for the report which the
legislation requests from the Coimmissioner.
You will be interested to know that the "learning disabilities"
testimony has been following a more positive approach than you
anticipated. The word "disabilities" may actually help build
public acceptance that some otherwise normal children do never-
theless need special kinds of educational treatment to facili-
tate their learning. This negative dissabilities approach to positive
action is similar to your effective use of poignant case studies to
stimulate concern Where other efforts have failed to open up
educational opportunities for the gifted and creative.
Again, thank you for sending me the materials. If you should
develop and distribute further case studies in your work with
the Foundation, I hope you will send me copies.
Sincerely yours,
Lanora G. Lewis Smith
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