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55
HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.
An important duty of the school health service under the
provisions of the National Health Service Act of 1944, is to examine
children who are suffering from some handicap of mind or body
so as to require special educational treatment.

Of these 159 had been placed in special residential schools,
45 in special day schools, 6 in independent schools, 9 received
home tuition and 203 were in maintained primary and secondary
schools. Thus almost half the children were suffering from defects
of so mild a nature that they were able to be fitted into ordinary
school life.
The blind and deaf children usually require treatment at
special residential or day schools where they receive training in
appropriate trades.
The partially deaf and partially sighted children can often
be kept in an ordinary school if they are given a favourable place in
class and some special tuition.
Educationally sub-normal children require various types of
education suitable to their age, ability and aptitudes. This ranges
from opportunity classes in ordinary schools to day or residential
special schools in the more severe cases. The waiting list for such
schools is necessarily long and must so remain until more schools
can be provided.
Delicate children are provided with extra nutrients and rest.
An open air school may be recommended in the more severe cases.
Diabetic children are cared for in special residential schools.
The children live in hostels under constant medical and nursing
care and are taught how best to care for themselves.