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52 children received speech therapy during
the year and 7 new patients were seen Defects
fell into the following categories
Defects in Register in December 1969
Retarded speech and language development 17
Dysarthria 3
Dysarthria/hearing loss 5
Ataxic dysarthria 2
Dysarthria/dysphonia 13
Multiple congenital deformities including
cleft palate 2
Dysarthria/dysphasia 3
Dysarthria/dysphasia/hearing loss 2
Stammer 2
Dysphasia 3
The staffing of the unit with physiotherapists
has proved extremely difficult throughout the
year and the future prospects of obtaining staff
is very bleak. Unfortunately this is a national
problem
It has not therefore been possible to
carry out all the activities, visits etc that
we would wish as the treatment programme
alone has increased by some 200 treatments
over the last year. In 1969, 7.643 treatments
were given in the unit, 46 pre-school
children received treatment mostly weekly.
The physiotherapists also carried out a
sports programme for the children in the
school, this included horse riding, swimming
archery and the organisation of the school
sports day in which every child in the school
took part Teams were trained and entered
for the sports for the disabled at Stoke
Mandeville and the inter-schools sports
meeting in July A team of children gave a
display of horse riding at the school fete
in June Teams were trained and entered
for two swimming galas
Many people ha/e visited the unit from
this country and abroad and the teaching
activities have continued Medical students
from St Bartholomews Hospital attended
a lecture demonstration and the physiotherapy
students from the West Middlesex Hospital
attended Martindale for their paediatric
experience.
Child Guidance Clinic
I am grateful to Dr P Calwell MB BS DPM for
submitting the following information:-
The clinic remained at School Road
throughout the year although since September
there was preparation for the move to the
new clinic and health centre at Bath Road
It was possible to appreciate the value of
the old building in spite of the limitations
of space, especially as regards the close
contact we were able to maintain there with
the school psychological service The clinic
was greatly helped by continuity of staff
the clinic team remaining unchanged throughout
the year apart from the welcome addition of
Dr Brafman for three local authority sessions
a week, which he started in October, 1969.
It was stimulating to the work of the clinic as
a whole to have another psychiatrist on the
staff
There were discussions with the Regional
49
There are two more children on the school
roll this year and the number of children on the
waiting list has again increased Table III
shows that the upward trend in the number of
children surviving with spina bifida continues.