Alfred Strauss

          Alfred Strauss, along with his colleagues Laura Lehtinen and Newell Kephart, created the diagnostic category of minimal brain damage in children. He presumed that children with learning difficulties, who were not mentally retarded, hearing impaired, or emotionally disturbed, had minimal brain damage. He developed a number of qualitative diagnostic measures of brain injury in children. The syndrome of behaviors associated with minimally brain damaged children which Strauss differentiated from familial mental retardation, came to be called by some "Strauss Syndrome." Strauss was the founder and director of Cove School in Racine Wisconsin, a residential school for brain-injured children, and the Evanston day unit for these children in Evanston, Illinois. Born in Karlsruhe, Germany on May 29, 1897. Medical degree, University of Heidelberg, 1922 Private practice in Germany. Research associate at the University of Heidelberg Psychiatric Clinic. Director of outpatient department at Univ. of Heidelberg Clinic. 1933 left Germany The same year that Adolph Hitler was appointed chancellor Visiting Professor at University of Barcelona-helped to establish Barcelona's first municipal child guidance clinic and first private guidance clinic. 1937 Came to the USA where served as research psychiatrist at the Wayne County School at Northville Michigan 1946 He became the director of child care Founded Cove School, Racine Wisconsin, in 1949-a residential school for brain injured children. Was president of the school until his death in 1957.