View report page

141
Medical Officer. Subsequently, in consultation with its parents, a
team approach by these officers, hospital and family doctors,
health visitors, teachers and, in many cases, hospital and local
authority social workers, enables the most acceptable and rewarding
plans to be made for a child's entry into the educational
system.
It is hoped that an increasing amount of Nursery School provision
will be made available for these children from the age of
2-3 years, according to the particular handicap. Experience has
shown that, within reason, the earlier the training of these children
commences, the more likely they are to reach their full
developmental potential and their parents to view the future with
optimism.
The following table indicates that the number of children under
six years of age on the Register at December 31st, 1971, was 326
compared with 359 for the previous year and that the total of all
handicapped children to school-leaving age totalled 1,385, a slight
decrease compared with the previous year (1,669). When the
handicapped child leaves school, its name is removed from this
Register and, if it is considered that he/she will require the
services of a Social Worker, his/her name and relevant details of
the condition are passed to the Directorate of Social Services.
However, almost all the children requiring this after-care service
are already known to the Social Workers, as it is the policy to
introduce them to these families as soon as it becomes apparent
that care will be needed at some future date.