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The most common defect continues to be dyslalia (faulty reproduction of
speech, with no apparent organic cause).
Children within the infant school age-group continue to form the highest
percentage of patients. This is consistent with the fact that this age-group is
usually the optimum age for treatment of speech disorders.
Barking Area
Speech therapy was re-started at the new Julia Engwell Clinic when it
opened in January 1965. The room is ideally suited for the purposes of speech
therapy and the new tape recorder was immediately put to use.
It was necessary, at first, to re-awaken interest in speech therapy, as the
previous therapist had left the area eighteen months ago. The medical and dental
staff in the various clinics were extremely helpful and cases were quickly
referred for speech therapy.
All the schools were visited, and this was useful both for making contact
with the head teachers and their staff and in selecting cases for treatment. It
was suggested that a speech therapist visited the Junior Training Centre each
week, and group therapy was started with some of the children.
Miss Symes and Miss Shipley had been coping admirably at Central Clinic,
and it was possible to relieve them by taking on the most vital cases. We were
pleased to welcome Miss Marquand from New Zealand in October. She was able to
carry on at Central Clinic and start up speech therapy sessions in the Barking
schools and at Faircross Special School.
The number of cases seen at Julia Engwell Clinic during 1965 was 1,308.
This can be divided up into:-
Pre-school 122
Infant school 381
Junior school 344
Secondary school 97
Special school 364
However, 551 cases were sent appointments and failed to attend for speech
therapy.
The number of children on the register in December 1965 was 100.
At Central Clinic, 554 cases were seen during the year and these can be
divided up into:-
Pre-school 85
Infant school 263
Junior school 103
Secondary school 14
Special school 89
146 cases were sent appointments and failed to attend for speech therapy.
The number of children on the register in December 1965 was 39.
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