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The work taking place at the Audiology Unit is a co-operative
venture and involves the participation of the consultant otologist, the
medical officers, the headmaster of Blanche Nevile School for the Deaf,
two peripatetic teachers of the deaf, the educational psychologist and
two audiometricians. Patients are seen by Dr. Fisch, who is
assisted by a medical officer from the Area Medical Officer's staff.
The headmaster of the School for the Deaf adds the weight of his
experience in educational placement of deaf and partially hearing children
and is also responsible for administrative matters connected with
the peripatetic teachers. These teachers are responsible, under
Dr. Fisch's supervision, for auditory training of pre-school children
and for visiting partially hearing children in ordinary schools. The
audiometricians attend the clinic to carry out new and repeat
audiograms on patients in attendance.
During the year a second peripatetic teacher and a second
audiometrician were appointed. This enables the team on the one
hand to detect hearing loss earlier and on the other hand to give
better training and closer supervision of progress of the children who
have hearing difficulties but are not in special classes or the special
day school.
The equipment of the clinic has been completed now by the
addition of an amplifying testing unit which enables the use of new
and specialised tests for hearing in the very young as well as the
older children. This unit comprises a very high quality record
player and tape recorder, and the amplified sound is replayed into
two loudspeakers placed in two corners of the room. The sound
can be played into the left or right speaker or both together. Test
sounds are recorded, and then played back at known levels of intensity,
so as to estimate the true level of hearing much earlier than
previously. Speech tests can be carried out and the effectiveness of
hearing aids can be tested with this equipment.
A number of visitors (doctors, health visitors, teachers) attended
at the clinic throughout the year and in this way a considerable
amount of teaching has been carried out. Also medical students
from Guy's Hospital attended a session of clinical demonstration.
For some time it has been hoped that the old air raid shelter
which adjoins the clinic would be available for the extension of the
clinic. This has now been agreed in principle and detailed plans
have been prepared for the conversion of the shelter. There will
be a room for the psychologist, which will also be used by the
teachers, an audiometric room and a room for the technician for
making impressions from the ears, issuing hearing aids, etc. The
availability of these rooms will be a great improvement in every
aspect to the work of the clinic.
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