In the GLC Spina Bifida Survey families were interviewed at 11 years old and the effects of a child with spina bifida on the sibs, father and mother were explored. Health and behaviour of the sibs were reported as at least as good as that of sibs of normal children although mothers of disabled children were more likely to feel that the sibs had suffered. Fathers appeared to have been unrestricted in occupational choice; over the last 9 years 40% had moved upward in social class, twice as many as those who had moved downward. Parents of severely disabled children were significantly more restricted in some social activities than were those of the lightly disabled, and significantly more mothers of SB than of controls reported feeling run-down and depressed. No significant relationship could be found between measures of either health or stress in the parents and any measure of the child's disability level, dependence or amount of hospitalisation, nor with measures of social restriction. There is nevertheless a continuing need for help and support for families of disabled children, for them to make use of as they wish.

SUMMARY A questionnaire was sent to 277 members of the British Paediatric Association asking whether they use developmental tests, which tests they use, and what they use them for. 192 replies were received, of which 132 said that developmental tests are used. Most (74) said they use a selection of test items, and the Griffiths and Gesell are the two main published tests used. The principal use of tests is on babies thought to be backward, followed by those with special handicaps and those offered for adoption. Follow‐up studies were very few. The dangers of testing babies with a few items from a scale are discussed, as are the different implications of the tests for backward, handicapped, and adoptive babies. Some suggestions are made as to possible lines of future research. RÉSUMÉ Les pédiatres et les tests du développement Un questionnaire a été envoyéà 277 membres de la ‘British Paediatric Association’ demandant s'ils employaient des tests du développement, lesquels ils employaient, et dans quel but. Parmi les 192 réponses reçues 132 disaient employer des tests du developpement. La plupart (74) indiquaient qu'ils employaient une sélection de tests, et les tests de Griffiths (40) et de Gesell (34) sont les deux principaux tests publiés utilisés. L'emploi principal des tests est chez les bébés présumés retardés, viennent ensuite ceux présentant quelques infirmités et ceux offerts pour adoption. Très peu d'entre eux étaient suivis. L'auteur discute des dangers qu'il y a à tester les bébés au moyen de quelques tests seulement pris dans une série, de même que les différences dans les implications des tests pour les bébés retardés, infirmes et adoptés. Quelques suggestions de recherches possibles sont présentées pour l'avenir.

Children with spina bifida who attend special schools are usually found to be retarded in their school attainment compared with those who attend ordinary schools. This finding has, however, often been confounded by the fact that the special school children tend to have lower IQs. In this study two groups of children were identified from those in the Greater London Council (GLC) Spina Bifida Survey, one attending ordinary and the other special schools. There were 11 pairs of boys and 11 of girls, each pair being closely matched for IQ. Examination of their scores on attainment tests showed that while results of reading tests did not differ significantly between the two types of schools, children of both sexes at special schools were behind their ordinary school counterparts in number work. These results were supported by similar findings, using analysis of co-variance, on the larger group of children in the GLC survey. The effect of other factors such as physical handicap, presence of a valve, and time spent in hospital, were explored, and possible explanations for the findings are discussed.

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