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important and frequent single condition which leads to an admission
to a special school, and it is the different interpretations given concerning
this condition which mainly affect the number of partially
sighted children in different districts. In deciding which cases
should be sent to a special school, factors such as degeneration of
the fundus, rate of progress of myopia, degree of myopia present,
age, family history and visual acuity must all be carefully weighed
and assessed, and certain general principles were laid down by the
Committee which should be observed in the selection of the cases.
There are certain other cases of defective vision due in most
cases to sequelae of inflammation, such as corneal ulcer, Keratitis,
and cataract which may require consideration. Here the question
of sight saving does not arise as it does in the case of myopia, for the
conditions are permanent and will not progress.
The question of admitting cases of optic atrophy to a special
school is controversial. The majority of such cases are progressive
and eventually become blind. Some argue that while they have
sight they should be educated as sighted children, while others
hold that they should have at the earliest possible stage the benefits
of methods of education applicable to the blind.
At the present time we have no one in a Blind School, but
there are certain abnormal children who will in course of time
probably be blind.
(1)—A girl who was at a Blind School before her parents
moved into Acton. She has double optic atrophy. Her mental
condition deteriorated so seriously that she was removed from the
school and notified as ineducable. She is now in hospital and is
over 16 years of age.
(2)—A boy of 8 who has a cataract in right eye and good
vision in the left eye.
(3)—A girl who had an accident to the right eye, and at
present wears glasses of 13 dioptres for that eye. She has good
sight in the left eye with a glass of 2 dioptres.
(4)—A girl of 13 who has been at Mayfield for prolonged
treatment to an old phlyctenular conjunctivitis. She still attends
hospital for treatment.
(5)—A boy of 13 with corneal ulcers. He attends irregularly
at an Ophthalmic hospital.
(6, 7 and 8)—Three boys at Kingwood Road Special School.
The 2 younger boys, aged 8 and 9 probably have optic atrophy.