View report page

105
Handicap and Observation Register
For the past seven years, a comprehensive register of handicapped
children and of children at risk of developing a handicap
has been kept in the Health Department. It has proved a most
useful statistical guide but, more important, it has continued to
alert us to the value of the early detection and treatment of
defects.
In 1972, 1,456 children under the age of five were included in
the register out of a total pre-school population of about 25,000.
All children on the register are examined regularly for defects
and developmental screening tests are undertaken. The completeness
of the register depends on co-operative effort and, throughout
the year, the collaboration of all concerned, that is, clinic doctors,
hospital specialists, general practitioners, health visitors and
others, has been excellent.
The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 enabled
greatly increased provision to be made for the welfare of handicapped
people and has stressed even further the necessity for
close association with the Social Services Department when
dealing with the handicapped child. Much practical effort has
gone into meeting the needs of any child or his family who can
derive benefit from the additional facilities which may now be
provided under the Act.
The following tables set out the statistics relating to handicapped
children under five years of age:-