London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Table (v)—
| In nursery class in 'ordinary' day school or' ordinary' nursery school; in 'ordinary' day nursery; at home but attending audio logy centre for auditory training only; at home and receiving auditory training at home | 77 | In ' ordinary ' day schools and special schools or units (day or boarding) for handicaps other than one of hearing; at home but attending audio logy centre for auditory training only | 199 |
| In 'ordinary' day nursery | 4 | In 'ordinary' day schools and special schools or units (day or boarding) for handicaps other than one of hearing | 95 |
| In nursery class in 'ordinary' day school or 'ordinary' nursery school; at home under review only | 23 | In 'ordinary' day schools and special schools or units (day or boarding) for handicaps other than one of hearing | 876* |
| In long stay hospital, hospital school or special unit | 2 | In long stay hospital, hospital school or special unit | 5 |
| 1 |
* Although requiring no special treatment, their progress is kept under review.
Audiology services—The Council's audiology services vary in type in different areas.
In some districts the unit is provided wholly by the Council. In three divisions, hospitals
provide otologists and premises, while the Council is responsible for the teacher of the deaf,
social worker and educational psychologist. In two areas experimental association of the
audiology unit with the school for the deaf is taking place. Sessions are held weekly at
County Hall by the Council's consultant otologist, who sees children referred for specialist
opinion.
A peripatetic teacher of the deaf was appointed in 1955. It was visualised that her work
would be mainly with the very young child so that she could help the child both directly
and through the parents to acquire speech during the important early years. She was also
expected to supervise the educational progress of children who had moved from partially
hearing units to ordinary school, so that any inability to cope on the part of the child
could be detected before too much ground had been lost. Children with a moderate degree
of hearing loss who can manage in ordinary school with the help of a hearing aid require
instruction in its use, as do their parents; the teacher of the deaf visits the child's school
periodically to advise the teachers on the child's special needs and to keep a check on his
progress. Lectures and demonstrations have been given by the peripatetic teachers to various
groups, such as day nursery staff, health visitors, student teachers. The Council has provision
for ten peripatetic teachers of the deaf and the future needs are under review.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the teacher's work has been the development of
the Parent Teacher Association of Children Receiving Auditory Training. This body, in
addition to the usual valuable functions exercised by like associations, directs its experience
towards assisting new parents to tackle their problems. When a new child is admitted for
auditory training it is paired with a child of similar background, age, hearing ability and
cause of deafness. Both parents of the child who has had training, and is succeeding, visit
the new family and help all members with the benefit of their own personal experience.
Provision of hearing aids—Whilst the provision of hearing aids is the responsibility of
the National Health Service, the standard Medresco aid, which is the only one available
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