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The 288 children under care of the peripatetic teachers of the deaf attend (if old enough)
ordinary schools, nursery schools, day nurseries, or special schools for other handicaps.
An analysis of the placement of the 228 children over 5 years of age is as follows:
Ordinary schools 183
Schools for the blind or partially sighted 5
Schools for the E.S.N 22
Schools for the physically handicapped 13
Schools for the maladjusted 1
Schools for the delicate 4
Total 228
Auditory training centres—The first two auditory training centres were opened in 1955
with one peripatetic teacher of the deaf responsible for the work at both centres. Two more
centres were opened in 1956 and a second teacher appointed to work at them. A further
three centres were opened in 1957 when a third teacher was appointed.
During 1959 a fourth peripatetic teacher of the deaf was appointed, and at the end of
the year auditory training sessions were held at five of the Council's audiology clinics and
at two hospitals—Belgrave and Lewisham.
When the proposal to establish the centres was first put forward it was envisaged that
the greater part of the teachers' time would be spent on the auditory training of young
deaf children and that the proportion of time spent with children in ordinary schools
and on the follow-up of children discharged from the units for the partially deaf would be
comparatively small. In practice the reverse has been the case and the greater part of the
teachers' time has been taken up with the older children.
The age distribution of the children on the rolls of the auditory training centres at the
end of the year is shown in the table on page 104.
Routine audiometer testing—All pupils are given a routine audiometer test as soon after
entry to school as possible. The tests are carried out by the school health visitors, using
small portable audiometers, by means of the 'rapid-sweep' technique. Pupils who fail to
pass this 'screening' test are referred for a further full pure tone test, and those that fail
this are referred to the otologist at the divisional audiology clinic. The numbers of pupils
tested during 1959, and the results of the tests, are as follows:
Pupils given screening tests 52,556
Pupils given pure tone tests 3,427
Pupils referred to otologists 1,200
Percentage of pupils failing screening test 6.5 %
Percentage of pupils referred to otologists .. 2.3 %
Speech therapy—During the year the provision of portable magnetic tape recorders,
described on page 113 of my report for 1958, was extended by the purchase of further
machines.
At the end of the year 162 speech therapy sessions were held each week in 52 clinics.
In addition, 50 sessions were held in day schools for the educationally sub-normal; 28
sessions in day schools for the physically handicapped; and 24 sessions in boarding special
schools. At the end of the year the total staff employed was the whole time equivalent of
28 4/11.
During the year 1,320 pupils (including 226 in special schools) were formally ascertained
as requiring speech therapy; 630 (including 86 in special schools) were discharged as either
cured or improved; and 303 (including 53 in special schools), most of whom showed
some improvement, ceased to receive treatment for various reasons, e.g. removal.
The number of pupils under treatment at the end of the year was 2,527, whilst 272
remained on the waiting list.
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