An investigation: What quality of life has a child with learning disability in an orphanage in Puebla, Mexico?

What quality of life has a child with learning disability who lives in an orphanage? Mexico Child Link funded its own investigation.

In 1993-1994 The Mexico Child Link Trust funded an investigation in Puebla City carried out by our Mexican partner organisation, Fundación Trébol de Puebla A.C. The results were published under the title of "The Abandoned Child with Mental Handicap in Puebla and its surrounding area: where are they found and what provision is made for them."This investigation in children's homes and other institutions in the Puebla area produced worrying results.

• It was found that of a total population of 1015 children in care, 68 (6.7%) had learning disabilities and were not receiving adequate care and attention.
• 17 of the 21 institutions investigated had one or more children with learning disabilities.
• 15 children with learning disabilities were found to be living in appalling conditions in the local Borstal (Reform center), where they had been subjected to many forms of abuse. The children had been sent there by the local government agency with responsibility for children's welfare.
• 62% of the children with learning disability had no access to special education and did not attend school.

These figures are almost certainly an underestimate, as there is a general lack of understanding in Mexico as to what constitutes a learning disability. Accurate statistics in Mexico are difficult to find. Many of the directors of these institutions were concerned that they were unable to look after these children properly and were anxious to know of a more appropriate place to send them where they could receive proper care and attention. They also requested help in working with individual children.

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