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efforts are made to ensure that a child is not treated in isolation
but is considered as a member of a group, all of whom are involved
in some way with the handicap. One of the main uses of the
'Handicapped Register' is to extend the consideration afforded the
handicapped child to the family as a whole.
Deaf Register (Including Partially Hearing)
A comprehensive register inherited from the London County
Council on 1st April, 1965, and containing the names of all children
known to be deaf or with partial hearing was maintained by
the department.
At the end of the year the register consisted of 219 deaf or
partially hearing children (209 of school age) the majority of whom
were diagnosed as a result of the 'sweep' hearing test which all
children undergo on entering school. Under 5 years of age the
children are mainly congenitally deaf although some had lost their
hearing through illness during infancy. It is these latter children
who present the greatest difficulty as, for the most part, the department
is constrained to rely upon notification from hospitals when
patients are discharged. Co-operation, in this respect, with hospitals
in the Borough is good but with those outside it is less efficient.
Certain omissions may be rectified by the Health Visitor who often
has knowledge of illness in any particular family.
In order to determine whether special schooling is required,
children under 5 years of age are assessed before entry and only
after discussions have taken place between parents, social and
other workers and particularly the otologist, is a final decision made.
From the accompanying table it can be seen that only 39
children attend special schools due to their disability. Happily the
majority can take their places with contemporaries in the ordinary
school system, some with special assistance, others with no help
other than regular supervision.