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28
DEAF AND PARTIALLY DEAF CHILDREN
1961 was a busy year for the Audiology Clinic. Begun in May
1960 the scope of its work was widened and earlier ground work
was consolidated. We were sorry to lose, through marriage, the
services of our Peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf, Miss DimondHogg,
whose efforts have so greatly helped to get the clinic
firmly established.
During the year, 493 audiometric tests were carried out and
96 children with impaired hearing received regular auditory
training, either in the home, in school or at the clinic. The
frequency of training varied with each child. Some required
weekly training: others only fortnightly or monthly. 361 training
sessions at Lodge Road and 147 school or home visits were made
during the year.
"Sweep testing" of five year olds began in September, and by
the end of the year 737 children in 20 infant schools had been
tested by this screening method. A part-time audiometrician is
employed for this purpose for four sessions a week during school
term, and it is planned that all five year olds will be tested
at some time during their first year at school. Already the
value of this new branch of the work has been shown. 17 of the
737 children tested had a slight to moderate hearing loss and
will require periodic testing, and five children were found to
have a serious hearing loss. Two of these are to receive a
hearing aid and auditory training, and the other three may need
this after medical treatment.
During the year all the pupils at St. Christopher's school
for educationally sub-normal children had at least one audiometric
test. Those who could not manage the full test with the
pure tone audiometer were given the simpler sweep test. Of the
212 children tested 84 failed, but only 19 of these need cause
any concern. It is, however, evident that tests should be made
on the hearing of all children whose I.Q, is low. In one case,
the hearing loss was so severe that a hearing aid, and auditory
training were essential.
12 hearing aids were issued in 1961. Five of these were the
National Health Service "Medresco" Aids and the other seven were
commercial aids paid for by the Corporation. Commercial Aids
are needed if the hearing loss is very severe, or if there is a
sharp perceptive loss in the higher frequencies. As there is no
automatic volume control on the Medresco Aid, it cannot be
tolerated by children with such a loss, as the hearing for low
notes is often normal and a general amplification of sound soon
becomes painful.