View report page

74
the visiting consultant or visitors from other clinics and schools to
observe and hear the children, without the children feeling self-conscious.
It has been difficult to equip such a unit as manufacturers do not provide
for such a handicap. It is necessary to adapt material which is produced
for normal children. Where possible, such children need to handle and
manipulate objects, and so a doll's house complete with furniture and
family is provided, and also a toy farm and zoo. These prove invaluable
when attempting to build a basic vocabulary or when demonstrating and
constructing simple sentences.
The majority of the children are treated daily, and are seen individually
by the speech therapist. She works in close contact with the
teacher, and thus it is possible to arrange each child's treatment time so
that he does not miss something vital to him in the classroom, and also
for the speech therapist and teacher to work together as a team, so that
one's work reinforces the other's, e.g. if a new series of words or a
concept enters into the school curriculum, the speech therapist will also
include these particular words in the children's treatments.
The number of children attending the unit will never exceed twelve.
At present there is a full case load, but two of the children have now
been almost entirely absorbed into their appropriate class within the
normal primary school. One of these boys will in fact transfer to a normal
school near to his home next term. These two children still come into the
unit for speech therapy and for some remedial teaching. The children have
settled happily and are benefiting from their attendance. Much of the
credit for the initial success of the unit must go to Mr. Samuel and the
staff and children of West Thornton School, who have shown so much
consideration and kindness. All of the special unit pupils are fully
accepted by the children of the main school and are always included in
the school's general activities. Already comparative tests and assessments
are showing a marked improvement in the aphasic children's range
of language and vocabulary. A similar improvement is noted in their
educational attainments. It would appear that the new unit is definitely
fulfilling a need in Croydon.
Summary
Developmental aphasia is a small but significant problem presenting
both medical and educational aspects. An effective speech therapy service
will undoubtedly bring forward a number of children who cannot be educated
satisfactorily in ordinary schools. The creation of a special unit to
educate and treat these children near their own homes on a day basis is
probably the ideal solution, and will allow some children to return to the
environment of completely normal education in due course.
The success of such a unit will depend upon a complete integration
of the medical and educational care of the child; and upon an effective
working relationship between the specialist teacher and the speech
therapist.