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28
DEAF AND PARTIALLY HEARING CHILDREN
At the beginning of the year, we were pleased to welcome
Mr. J.C. Oakley, to replace Miss Dimond-Hogg, as Peripatetic
Teacher of the Deaf. 1962 was an extremely busy year for the
Audiology Clinic. In addition to the routine use of the Clinic,
it felt the full effects of the first complete year of sweep
testing.
During the year, 89 children received regular auditory
training, some at home, some in school and some in the clinic.
738 audiometric tests were also carried out in the clinic, this
included sweep test failures, routine follow-up cases and cases
referred by School Medical Officers.
All Infant Schools were visited at least once during the
year, by Mrs. Roberts, the part time Audiometrician and apart
from absentees, all children newly admitted to school during the
year were sweep tested. Of the 3,525 tested, 3,147 passed the
test. The 378 failures were re-tested in the clinic, where it
was possible to pass a further 51. The remaining 303, were
further examined by a School Medical Officer and the appropriate
treatment prescribed.
All the children recommended for a hearing aid, were seen by
Mr. Parsons, the Corporation's Consultant Otologist, who has
held monthly consultant sessions at the Audiology Clinic
throughout the year. 12 hearing aids were issued in 1962. Seven
of these were the National Health Service "Medresco" aids and
the other five, were commercial aids paid for hy 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.
Approval has been given for the formation of a Unit for
Partially Hearing and Severely Deaf Children in the age range,
3-7 years. This will provide up to 4 years training with a
specialist teacher, during the vital early years, when concentrated
individual attention can make all the difference to a
deaf child's future. It will also avoid sending very young
severely deaf children on long daily bus journeys to day special
schools outside the Borough.
The Royal National Institute of the Deaf, held a two-day
conference on Deaf Education, at Church House, Westminster, in
October. This was attended by Mr. J.C.Oakley.
For further statistical details see Appendix G Page 61.